Harry Potter and the Blood of the Enemy
by JadedHowl
Summary: 6th year:Voldemort is even more powerful and Harry Potter is the one he craves to capture. Harry is surrounded by lies and secrets,can he trust anyone? Voldemort may want him dead but after discovering some vital information, he may want him alive...
1. Forgotten line

**Epilogue**

**Voldemort stood over him, his eyes glinting, Harry lay in the mud, his eyes never leaving the body of the girl a couple of meters away. The dark man lifted his wand and Harry twisted on the ground, the Crusiatus curse taking its toll. Harry didn't want to go on anymore. Already his world had been broken, he had lost the person he trusted the most. He yowled in pain, but not only for the torture, he screamed for the last couple of hours, he cried out for what they had done to change him. Dumbledore was dead and the bodies were growing. Voldemort had him in his clutches once more, and this time, he was going nowhere.**

**"Now Harry-" Voldemort whispered to him, "you, die..." **

_Harry Potter and the Blood of the Enemy _

**this fiction will be long, I have carefully planned it and have taken over a year to pull the pieces together, now all I have to do, is write it.**

**It's sixth year and Harry finds himself in a Whirl of emotions and fears. Voldemort wants to capture and kill him even more than before. Around him rest secrets and lies and Harry struggles to overcome the betrayal that leads to his final hours. Something or someone had broken him. Harry finds it hard to trust anyone around him, especially a certain seventh year Slytherin who seems to follow him everywhere. His teachers are closing in and Harry begins to wonder if Dumbledore is the best man to look to in a time of need**

**You want to know who? The we must start at the beginning. We must start with Voldemort. **

Note: I changed the name of this fiction from Long Lost Living Enemy

* * *

"_Naomi, I implore you to see reason, are you certain the results are correct?" Mr. Gaunt hissed as he strode across the shady jade carpet, his footsteps led to each corner, covering the gold spirals that wove across the vivid depth that enveloped the aged wooden floorboards. His white hands and long fingers were curled into fists and his knuckles pressed themselves against the translucent skin that concealed them, Morfin Gaunt spun on his heel to face the fragile blonde woman with unwavering black eyes, "You took a pathetic muggle concoction, those vermin can't have come up with something as simple as that, there has to be some sort of flaw." He spat the words at her hoping to make her quiver, but she stood her ground, still as stone, her light hair falling in her face as she gazed down her flawless nose to inspect his sudden flourish of movement. Her lips pursed as if she was holding back a passage of vulgar comments. Finally she lifted her stare,_

"_Morfin, I'm with child."_

* * *

_Morfin stared with cold eyes at his grown son, he had acquired his dark hair and his mother's large wide dark eyes and in contrast with his pale thin and pointed face he looked remotely handsome, but of course there was a price to pay for his carved face. He stood with hands on hips and glared back into Morfin's eyes. _

"_It's her isn't it? That Caprice woman." He didn't need to go on; they both knew what was coming next, _

"_I have a son." He whispered, his voice sounded hard but he detected the trace of fear that laced his words. He looked at him unblinking..._

_How he had screamed, how he had bled, he left him there, tearing the silver locket from his neck as his blood drained away, Morfin had then swept from the room without a backwards glance and tossed the locket down in the shadow of the door way, where a heart wrenched blonde woman sat weeping, holding a tiny boy with a lock of bright hair flowing over his forehead. _

_Morfin didn't even glimpse the shadows and how they moved with sobs. _

_The young woman stroked his cheek and pocketed the silver chain from which hung a delicate silver wolf, which prowled the family crest, before gathering up her child and running from the scene._

* * *

_Adrian Caprice dragged his wife back from the fray, narrowly avoiding a blast of green light. The air roared with cries and the dust swirled so nothing could be seen. Adrian yanked Selena behind him as he ducked into an alley way that led towards their hiding place. He had found them; Riddle had tracked them down after years of hunting and was now in the midst of revenge. Their relation made him a target; he would always be the descendant of Morfin Gaunt and not even the change of a name could save his family now. All he could do was reach his teenage son,_

"_GO! Run as far as you can, and don't look back! Never look back! I love you son, I love you Delano."_

_The boy watched his father clutching his beautiful mother; her eyes shining as she grasped his hand one last time pressing something cold and silver in his hands. The boy ran into the fray and left behind the last of his family engulfed in a shock of green and a shout of gleeful cold laughter that seemed to follow in his wake. Delano Caprice ran. _

* * *

_Delano Caprice sat slumped side by side with his wife, in a cell made of harsh stone, at the feet of a dark figure with a silver mask upon his face; engravings told him that the death eater was Nott. Delano sighed and thought of his new born children, Hadrian and Kern, how he wished he could have seen them grow up, his beautiful twins set only apart by their differing hair, Hadrian with locks of raven and Kern with starlight strands. He would miss their eyes and their laughs. Delano put out a shaky hand for his wife Lea to grasp; she gave him a light smile and squeezed his hand, he felt her unnatural power run through his fingers and thought of how she had acquired them, he turned and... They both met the green inferno._

* * *

_Hadrian ran with his baby girl hidden in his arms, he swerved the muggle cars and ran into the darkened park, his breathing was ragged and eyes wild. He flicked his long dark hair out of his dark brown eyes and then looked down into the loving and innocently beautiful face of his daughter, he whispered,_

"_Ebony Tala Gaunt, for they know who we are now." He pressed his lips to her smooth pale forehead and placed his bone white wand above her brow, "I give onto thee the final power of your ancestors, the force of Salazar and the wit and intensity of Lea Wreath and hope that you may stay hidden from those who hunt you, watch out for those that you should love." Hadrian whispered as he wrapped a silver chain around the small bundle. The last part of the charm brought forth a blinding light momentarily changed the baby's hair to white blonde and her dark eyes, green, before dissipating and leaving him drained. Hadrian put his new born girl down on wooden bench just as some muggles passed; clothed in garments that almost resembled his own, their robes and pointed hats bobbed off into the distance of the Halloween night just as cracks rent the air and the rush of green met Hadrian Gaunt in the chest._

* * *

"_Do you feel that?" The woman wrapped in dark leather whispered, she glanced at the body of her former husband and then searched for her child who had been ripped from her deathly grasp short hours ago. It had not taken her long to recover and pursue the weak man, but now at midnight on the 31__st__ of October the woman shrieked as it dawned upon her, she pushed back her sleeve to reveal her mark and found a faded version of the once intact sign. The Dark Lord had fallen and his only living relative had faded into the night._

* * *

Ebony Caprice ran. Her footsteps splashing through the shallow puddles that were dotted across the gray pavement. The rain was hard and the wind restless, nothing could be seen through the mass of gray and white, these were the perfect conditions. The dark figure was right on her tail, reaching out his gloved hand to grasp the back of her black shirt that was ripped and splattered with blood. He brandished the twisted and smooth stick and waved it towards the retreating girl as she glanced over her shoulder and saw his snarl. He shouted something she didn't comprehend and all of a sudden she was falling into the sodden ground and rolling through the collected rain. The man pounced and pinned her arms above her head before pointing the dark stick at her face.

"Ebony Gaunt, someone wants a word with you."

The tall strong man hauled her up, twisting her arm behind her back making her cry out.

"Don't, even try and call for help." He pressed the warm stick across Ebony's windpipe, "We wouldn't want any accidents now, would we?" Instead of calling out Ebony twisted out of the dark mans grip and aimed a kick at his shins, but he was ready, and before she could lash out she felt something hit her full in the chest that knocked her to the ground. He stood over her and pointed the stick at her torso. The next thing she knew was unbearable pain all over her body, Ebony felt herself thrashing in the water as what felt like hot arrows embedded themselves into her skin, over and over again, Ebony tried to hold in her scream but before long she was yelling herself hoarse, Ebony curled into a ball as the blinding pain continued, sweat poured from her brow and her eyes rolled around in her sockets. The pain was so bad she felt herself separating from her inner self; her soul. _This is was it's like to die,_ ebony thought as her vision began to grow dark and shadows danced in front of her eyes. Ebony felt like she was being peeled from her body as she started to float upwards, towards the rainy sky, she twisted and glanced down at the horrific scene, she watched the man in the dark clothes laughing as he watched the girl's body shiver and crumple before him. But something in his smile made him falter, Ebony glanced at the girl and felt her jaw hang open; the girl had turned deathly pale and sickening red eyes stared out of the flawless skull which was covered in white blonde hair. Ebony watched as the dark hair left the ends and was replaced with hair like starlight. Lids closed over the red eyes and strands fell across the girl's face, when the eyes opened the coloured enveloped the whites of the girl's eyes. Nothing was left apart from that gut wrenching red that reminded her of something dark and sinister, something at the back of her mind that was tugging ever so gently. As Ebony looked closer she saw something black running like ink from the rim of the girl's left eye. The ink formed a pattern, it wove itself into a snake that grasped a skull, the pattern was dark and Ebony knew it. It burned on the girl's face and a light smile graced her lips. Before Ebony could ponder the smile another wave of pain lashed out and trapped her.

* * *

_The snake like man sat in a darkened room upon a cruel wooden ornament and stared at the crystal glass that captured the liquid, the glass projected shafts of tinted atmosphere that danced across the crippled desk, the pale man with something missing from his profile lent forward and placed his cruel looking hands either side of the glass, he clenched his fists and white bone came forth and expressed his inner conflict. He reached for the long and pale stick that rested by his left hand, he twirled the object in his long fingers and his eyes watched the movement. His cold red eyes. _

_A man dressed like the one who had attacked her, entered the room, his mask covering his frightened face, but nothing could hide the fear in his voice as he said,_

"_My lord, Potter is guarded once more by his residence in the summer; he cannot be touched until he leaves the perimeter." The man with slits replacing a nose; hissed, the cold sound echoed in the room and the other man went rigid with fear. "Bu- but, Malfoy tracked down the girl, we have her location. We know what she looks like and what name she goes by." The man halted as if he knew he'd said enough. But with a trace of determination he drew another breath and said, "Her na- name is-" But he was cut off as the man with red eyes held up his hand. _

"_I know her name." He paused as he let his high, cold words fade, "The girl will be contained and brought to be- alive. Her well being must be of the up most importance, for I will need her. The power she holds beneath will belong to me, even if it means keeping her alive by my side forever. But hear me? I talk too much; already the girl must be confused..."_

"_My lord?" But the man did not answer; instead he looked at Ebony as if she was really in the room. He smiled and his cat like eyes shined with false warmth..._

* * *

Ebony felt air rush past her ears as the image dissolved in front of her. She watched the smile turn into a leer before it disappeared completely. Ebony felt her body fall as if under the influence of gravity and thoughts burned in her skull. Who was the man with the flat and snake like face, why was he interested in her? Why could he see her when the other man could not? Why did she feel some sort of bond between her and the man with the red eyes? Why did that sense of crushing fear control her mind when she was in his presence? Before she could think further, blinding light pressed against her eyes and she threw her arms in front of her face. When the light decreased she lowered her arms and saw a graveyard, in the centre of the graveyard stood to boys- back to back- with their own wooden sticks held out. What they failed to notice was the approaching figure of a small mousey man who held something wrapped in dark cloth. Ebony wanted to yell out, to warn the boys who still hadn't noticed the man.

"_Did anyone tell you the cup was a portkey?" The taller boy whispered._

"_Nope" said the small boy who seemed to be struggling to stand. The two figures were looking around now and Ebony let out a sigh of relief. The smaller of the two spotted the man and whispered, "Someone's coming" The two boys looked at each other and began to lower their sticks. The man who was walking towards them stopped and then suddenly the small boy let out a scream as he crumpled to the ground. The taller boy looked down and then moved himself in front of the boy who was now retching and yelling. Before anything could be said, familiar sounds escaped the black cloth the man was cradling. _

"_Kill the spare!" was shouted and before Ebony could run forward she heard another voice yell something in another tongue, and a green light engulfed the tall boy and he fell to the ground. Dead. Ebony stared with fearful eyes and looked at the smaller boy who had stopped yelling and lay on the ground. Eyes closed in fright. He looked a year younger than Ebony and he was covered in dirt and grime, he wore red and black and his hair was plastered across his forehead, but Ebony could make out a lightning bolt scar that was glowing red. The boy had round glasses with black frames and when the boy opened his eyes, vivid green irises stared at the dead boy beside him. He whimpered as he was grabbed by the hunched man and shoved over to a head stone, where he was tied. Ebony couldn't make out where the ropes had come from, but she came to the conclusion that the sticks that these people held were not ordinary tree branches. Ebony's heart twisted as the man hit the boy around the face to stop him struggling. The young boy gasped and hissed,_

"_You!", rage hit Ebony, the boy knew his captor! _

After that, everything became a haze and Ebony only recognised the screams of the boy and the high cold laughter of the snake like man-Ebony could only guess-. She hated this, she hated the torture, the screams and the pain that she had to witness, she hated watching the cruel man prowl around the exhausted boy who now lay at his feet. She despised his words and his actions and was disgusted at the other men who watched.

A growl escaped her lips and her hands formed fists. Yet the anger was soon turned to fear as she felt eyes on her back. Slowly, Ebony turned to face the snake like man, who had been watching the scene by her side the whole time.

"_Ah, Ebony, I see you've witnessed my rebirth, I must say, I do not recall the boy screaming so loud." He stopped to let a cold laugh out as he raised his white stick and trained it on her heart. Ebony closed her eyes slowly and then stared into the others. _

"_What did you do to him?" She asked through clenched teeth. She set her jaw and never let her stare waver. The man smiled and a cold wave passed through the atmosphere that swayed Ebony._

"_You share some traits I see. Well, then I know your weakness. Ebony, I know who you are even if you don't. You think you come from a filthy muggle family and live a normal life, but what you don't realise is that your blood is pure and runs with power. You are a hardened core of ancient magical ability that is just waiting to be... taken. Ebony! Together we could be great!" His voice took a sinister tone "Together we could purge this world of filth and rule over those who have lost their way." Ebony laughed, it was her turn._

"_You think you can fool me? I was a child once, but I know how to say no," the man's smile had left his face leaving an ugly frown. "You're right, I don't know who I am, but I know this. It will be a cold day in hell when I lend a hand to you!" The man sneered,_

"_But you can't keep your darker side in check for long Ebony. Why, what's this?" He smiled and flicked his stick to her face "Already you are handing yourself into my hands, for you bare my mark." Ebony moved her hand to her face and felt the indent in her skin; she followed the mark and made out the snake curling around the skull. She gasped and made to move, but the man had immobilised her with a slight movement of the white branch. He moved around her and it reminded her of how he had prowled around the boy in the graveyard. He stopped in front of her, inches away and lifted one long finger and placed it on her cheek. Screams left her mouth as his finger came into contact with her skin, in her mind the boy was screaming alongside her. The snake like man smiled and enjoyed her pain as he watched her eyes fill with tears of pain. "You will never be rid of me Ebony Gaunt, and who could deny their own family? Surly you aren't that cold?" He lifted his finger and Ebony breathed again. Refusing to hear the words he had just uttered, but the man was ruthless and paused before saying, "You are my blood, my bone my mind and my essence, you are part of me." Ebony shook her head and held her breath. _

_Suddenly he walked away from her and hissed,_

"_It, is done, you share what the boy also holds, and remember Ebony, you can't be free of me." He turned and faded from her vision and then graveyard came back into view. The boy was gone, and the man was pacing. _

* * *

"_His scar! His scar is what connects us. His scar is the window into his mind; his scar will help me control him. It's like a bond." Ebony gasped and reached for her face, but the mark was gone. Was that what she had? A bond? Like the boy's scar? Could she be controlled?_

The graveyard fled from view and she now found herself above her blonde headed body, with the red eyes and dark mark, standing proud and tall. The attacker at her feet. He did not move.

* * *

Ebony blinked the tears from her eyes and they cascaded down her face. She shook the man and tried to make him respond, her breathing was uneven and she felt the full force of the trauma hit her. Her hands shook as the attacker opened his gray eyes and threw daggers at her. He bared his teeth and pushed her so she fell backwards; losing her balance. He stood and pointed his stick at her. Ebony drew her knees into her chest and waited for the pain, but it did not come. She glanced up at the man who was staring at something over her shoulder. She turned and saw an old man with a white beard that was looped into a silver chain. He wore gray robes and a small cap with a bell hanging down the front. In his hand he held his own weapon, the stick was thin and long. On his nose perched half moon glasses and behind those lay sparkling blue eyes that held so much light and authority. A loud crack momentarily deafened Ebony and she spun around to face the empty air, her attacker was gone.

"Ebony Caprice I presume?" The elder man said softly, placing the stick behind his robes. She nodded her head in agreement and he smiled. "How nice to finally meet you."

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter**

**Ebony Caprice is not like Ebony from My immortal, I will take it as an offence if you think the same. Read on to find out more. Ebony is the last known descendant of Salazar, I know there are a lot of relative fictions out there, but I aim to differ from those. I have resubmitted this chapter because of some key plot mistakes.**

**This chapter is a time line, next chapter we will visit Harry and then you'll see where it stems from there. I hope you enjoy it and Reviews are welcomed**

******Harry Potter and the Blood of the Enemy ©  
Steal this plot line and I'll hunt you down**

******Includes captures, battles, confrontations and violence in later chapters**


	2. Duty Calls

Chapter 2

Harry's scar prickled uncomfortably, he winced and raised his pale right hand to his face and tried to rub away the pain. His scar had been doing that more and more often these past few weeks and Harry had expected it. After all, he had faced Voldemort for the fifth time during his life and had once again evaded that rushing green death that followed him everywhere.

_You know you want to Harry, just do it, she deserves it, she killed him... You know the spell Harry..._

He shook his head free of the tender thoughts that kept pressing his mind to the brink of insanity. Harry still refused to visit that night, the night he almost killed all of his friends, the night that took his Godfather from him.

_Shock was evidently displayed on his once handsome face...And he fell behind the veil..._

Harry kneaded his forehead with his fist, memories to bitter to visit now, feelings too hostile to re-play under his eye-lids. The tug at his heart started again, It had only been three weeks since the end of term, and a short while ago he had seen the murder of his only family left. At the time the adrenalin was pumping through his veins so fast that all he could do was run and scream and chase, Harry was surprised at himself, he hadn't become a murderer that night. Yet he was determined, after glancing back, if he had uttered that curse he would have become like Voldemort, and Harry knew he could never bare to be compared to that ghastly man who had hunted him for years.

_Flat nose...Bone white skin...Red eyes..._

Harry marvelled at how Voldemort had once been handsome and charming. Voldemort just made himself an example, nobody knows what lies beneath the surface of a person, and that thought was what made Harry angry. After that fateful evening, _he_ had tried to compare his life to his own! How could the old man be so foolish? Harry remembered being trapped in that room with him.

_Let me out..._

_No._

Harry cracked his knuckles at the thought; the old man had kept all those things from him for so long. Although he had calmed Harry, he wasn't calm inside. Inside Harry was still reeling from the long conversation he been through.

_Neither can live, while the other survives..._

The confidence boost of a life-time! Harry closed his eyes and squeezed them shut. Harry could no longer cry, after his fourth year, Harry thought he would never cry again. How could he? How could Harry –_living Harry_- cry? He didn't deserve to weep, others had suffered more and he was the one who had to stand there, living and breathing, as if his very existence was offensive. Maybe it would have been better if Harry had died in that graveyard. If only Cedric has survived and returned to his loving parents and Harry could join his too, for in the real world, no parents would miss his absence.

_Stop, stop wallowing in self-pity_, Harry thought angrily, _thinking about things that can't be changed won't do anything but anger you more. _

Harry heard Dudley turn over in his sleep, his bed springs creaking as the mass of a small wale shifted in undaunted dreams. If only. Harry glanced at his cracked watch and saw it was 3:30 AM; he sighed and continued to stare across the room. Harry had hardly bothered with sleep these days; they only brought nightmares and pains in his scar, like he needed more of that. Yet the lack of sleep was proving difficult to deal with, as each morning he stumbled out of the smallest room in the tedious house on Privet Drive and almost tumbled down the stairs as he went to make the breakfast for his unloving relatives. Small actions, such as lifting the eggs out of the pan onto plates became impossible feats. They almost always slid onto the table top and earned Harry more dirty glares from his Uncle. Fatigue drained Harry, but he pushed it aside, for each night, as the shadows crept into the boxed room, Harry felt wide awake. No use if you're wide awake, right?

Already his best friends Hermione and Ron had noticed his new sleeping pattern, if he could call it that? Harry hadn't really thought about what time he corresponded with them, and because he usually sent Hedwig back to them in the early hours, he had received worried replies concerning his health.

_Why were you up so late Harry?_

Hermione's voice filled his head,

_My parents said that sometimes events can cause lack of sleep, but it's the best way to recover! Promise me you'll try to get some sleep?_

Harry had scoffed at her reply. Try? Try and sleep through those horrific images each night, for weeks on end? He'd like to see her try.

Ron's gruff voice now replaced Hermione's,

_Look mate, just do us all a favour and get some sleep, Hermione's bugging me with essay length letters, you know how she is._

Harry lightly smiled as he remembered his two best friends, their happy smiles and light laughs. The way Ron's ears went red with embarrassment and the way Hermione's knowledge seemed never-ending. He missed them dearly and with only two weeks to go before his liberation, time seemed to slow.

Although he had written to both Ron and Hermione, neither had offered him an escape, usually by now, Ron was excitedly writing to Harry, telling him they were coming to take him away. Harry was slowly getting more and more unsure of when he would actually be leaving, but Harry didn't mind to an extent; at least he was getting more letters than he did last summer, where his correspondence was dryer than a desert. He had been so mad!

_I've gone without a scrap of news all summer!_

The rage flashed through him again, he still hadn't been completely satisfied with their answer

_Because Dumbledore told us not too!_

Of course it had been the old man, why hadn't Harry guessed sooner. Dumbledore had a tendency of leaving Harry in the dark for long periods of time. He ground his jaw.

Harry sighed again and lifted his round spectacles off his nose and rubbed his tired dull eyes. Their vivid green essence just didn't seem as prominent anymore, not after the effects of the torture curse, but maybe, just maybe, Harry would be able to recover from that, get back the eyes of a normal teenager, instead of a thirty year old. Funny, it wasn't like he was going to live that long anyway. Harry was certain he was going to die young, just like his parents, Harry could never see beyond that path that always met with Voldemort, the path that ended with the green light and howling words. Harry knew Voldemort would never let him die peacefully; he would have his wicked ways, and get every ounce of life out of Harry, as slow as possible. As long as his friends were clear from his grasp, Harry had no problem facing him alone, for alone he had made this mess, alone he had angered the dark Lord and alone he would face the consequences.

Harry's scar reached a heightened point in pain and he gasped and held his hands in his head, but as quick as the pain had come, it had quickly gone...

Strange? Harry sat a little straighter on his bed, inside his head; thoughts were flying like golden snitches across vivid lush fields.

Harry recalled his last dream that had thrown him from his bed onto the cold floor at the darkest point of night.

_Harry looked down on himself sprawled in the mud and looked closer to see the disbelief; He lay, slumped, and limp. Cedric was dead, empty gray eyes that once gleamed with charm, now stared out and up at the dark sky._

_Harry watched as the traitor approached and threw his younger self against the headstone. He turned. Harry didn't need to watch this again, once had been enough. Instead he made his way through the tombs and directed his path towards the large tomb that was carved from white marble. As he drew closer he saw the names inscribed on it. _

"_In memory of Adrian and Violet Caprice, whose son met the same fate." Below the inscription lay a poem_

"_Gone to ashes_

_Gone to bone_

_Killed and thrown with blood in thy own home,_

_Lost son of mine_

_You will join us in so little time_

_You were the victim in their unfinished tainted crime._

_To the last descendant of mine, _

_The twist in the pattern of continued birth _

_A male opposed in Potter's earth_

_For the connection you share _

_Will be valued above the sight of the rare flying mare_

_And all will been seen through the thick jade green_

_It will start with a scream and end in a fight_

_A choice will be made _

_Through bitter and hateful, mutual aid..."_

_Harry re-read the poem as he tilted his head. It was a strange message to leave, from what he could guess the people who had died were leaving something for the last of their family, although the message seemed pretty grim. Harry's eyes passed over the word potter, he shivered involuntary and pushed away the thoughts of relation, but how could he ignore his surname, and here of all places? The very graveyard where he had almost lost his life._

_In the background Harry hardly noticed his youthful screams; the torture now seemed so long ago... _

_Cold laughter rang throughout the dark resting place. Harry could almost feel Voldemort's pleasure as he screamed, _

"_CRUCIO" for the second time. Suddenly all other noises were drowned out as his neck prickled and he felt eyes on his back. Could he really be watched in his own memory? _

"_You!" Harry jumped and spun around so that he stumbled. Behind him was a girl, a girl with long dark and slightly curled hair that flowed like water down her back, her face was pale and thin with high check bones... And two large round dark eyes stared out at him. Those eyes... She looked cold, cold hearted, yet within her eyes Harry could make out something different. All of a sudden she rushed towards him and before he could raise some sort of defence she had passed right through him, but her intensions had been clear. With wide arms and a breathless expression, it was almost certainly an attempt of a hug? Harry yelled as he felt like he had been dipped in ice cold water and he jumped up and down on the spot to get the blood running again. "I'm sorry! Its just- we- well you're alright!" she looked reluctant to express herself properly and Harry could see that she felt embarrassed. _

"_Could have done without the ice bath though." Harry muttered. He shook himself once more, before he stood taller and puffed out his chest; he wanted to have some look of authority. The girl stood looking at him and after a while she burst out laughing. "Hey!" harry exclaimed, but he was laughing himself now. After a while Harry became serious again and so did the girl. He had to ask, "What do you mean. "You're alright!" Harry waited as he saw a confused and fearful look spread across her face. _

"_I don't really know how to explain it, but I've seen this scene before. I was brought here by something, or someone, but I saw you hurting and I wanted it to stop so bad, I never knew what happened to you and my vision went black. Even the man who tortured you didn't tell me what happened to you...So I assumed...You were dead, you screamed so loud." Her eyes were hard but you could tell that she cared, she had a sense of humanity and any sour thoughts towards her vanished, Harry forgot about the reminders, he knew this girl would understand. She had wanted to protect him, something he yearned to do for his friends. For everyone he knew, but nobody seemed to care that it hurt him bad when he saw them risk their lives for him. Just plain old Harry. _

"_I understand." Harry said, simply and the girl gave him a small smile, she wasn't the type to show emotions, which was something Harry could relate to and admire. _

_Harry made to move forward to ask her more questions but something changed in the dream and from nowhere the girl fell to the ground and let out a strangled yell. He rushed to her side but before he could reach her she was thrashing in the mud, just like Harry had those years ago. "No!" he whispered frantically, he felt so helpless as he watched her image slip from the surrounding, "Please stop." He said as he glimpsed Voldemort's shadow approaching where the younger Harry hid behind a headstone. He was kneeling where the girl had just disappeared with his hands in the mud as if hoping to grasp her and draw her back, back out of pain. He glared at Voldemort and for half a second his glare was returned..._

_Harry's heart stopped...And the dream faded..._

The floor had been cold that night, but what was weird was the feeling in his gut that was spreading quickly, the feeling that made him want to seek out that girl.

As quick as that, Harry's mind was decided. He leapt up from the bed and glanced around his room and found his wand. He was going to find her. That was that.

Any sense of reason had flown from his mind. Harry didn't even think about the danger he was placing himself in when he stepped out from those barriers that kept him safe each summer. He just knew that the girl needed him, to see him alive, complete with heart beating. His sudden change in thoughts made him feel as if he was under some sort of spell, but there was no warm feeling that came with Imperio... Harry couldn't put his finger on it, and with his new frame of mind, he brushed the thoughts away without really considering them properly.

Harry walked through the door frame and practically bound down the stairs, he had no disregard about his relative's welfare, why should he care about anything apart from that girl? That was the most important thing, above all others, she had to be found. Harry crossed the hall way and opened the front door, It was always kept open so that Petunia could creep down in the early hours of the morning and check that her garden was still immaculate. Harry stomped through the flower beds.

He reached the street and he saw a sheen over the road, it had been raining earlier that day, he should know, he had been walking in it. In the summer Harry felt like he was despised by his neighbours, he was a teenage boy who walked around the streets all day, no matter the weather. Plus the Dursleys had created quite a reputation for him. Criminally insane? I think not. Yet anything the Dursley's saw to be unnatural was automatically labelled as insane, so Harry technically fitted into that category...

Harry started to walk past the houses and he hunched his shoulders automatically, he was cold, but the importance of his actions came over his personal comfort, right? Rain fell here and there but the night seemed bitter more than wet. The silence made him uncomfortable but he pushed through, he needed to do this, it was right. He came to the end of Privet Drive and turned left, he had to find transport. The knight bus? No, that would make him easy to find, he should use muggle transport for protection against death-eaters, or was it so he could hide from Dumbledore? Harry quickly pushed this thought from his mind, he was scared that if he lingered too long, Dumbledore would indeed show and Harry was sure he wouldn't understand his actions. He needed to move now, like a kind of free for all? His time was limited, he had to move, and fast.

Harry turned and he thought he heard footsteps behind him. He paused, to see if they were his own... He couldn't hear anything. He moved forward again, reluctant to give the follower another chance. Again he heard an echo of movement behind him so he spun around and whipped out his wand. Wand. Why wasn't that out anyway? He faced empty air... Nothing?

Then, Harry felt cool breath brushing lightly against his neck. He froze, it would be too late to do anything but face his attacker. So Harry slowly turned and his eyes widened...

"Harry? Where do you think you're going?"

...

Mrs. Figg asked incredulously...


	3. Cornered at last

Mrs. Figg had a firm grip on Harry's arm and he glanced down as he started to lose the feeling in his wand arm.

"You can let go now." Harry asked slowly as if he expected her to turn into a death eater and attack him.

"I'll let go when you explain what you're doing wandering around at this early hour!" Her face was sharp and her eyes watched his every move, testing his response, waiting for what Harry might do.

Now that the question was asked, Harry was mystified to why he was outside in the middle of the night; the last thing he remembered was looking at the clock and cursing Dudley. He looked back at Mrs. Figg and for a moment he was unable to reply. She shook his arm and her grip grew firmer.

"Ouch! Alright alright! Give me a moment will you?" Now he had come to his senses Harry felt the night blowing, harsh and bitter wind against his face. He shivered and wished he'd thought to bring a jacket, but of course, he hadn't been thinking. If Mrs. Figg hadn't found him...

"Potter? Maybe I should let Dumbledore know what you've been up to?" Harry's eyes widened and he spluttered,

"Wai-t! N- no!" he took a breath to calm himself and looked her directly in the eye, "I don't know why I am out here, I can't even remember leaving the house, I feel as if I've just been woken up right now..." his sentence trailed off, he sounded ridiculous. Mrs. Figg reluctantly let go of his arm and it took some will power not to reach up and rub the feeling back, he didn't want to look weak, much less look like he'd been hurt by an elderly woman. Harry had been so quick to reply because he resented the thought of having to face Dumbledore again so soon, it was near the end of the holidays and even though he hadn't seen the old man for over a month, it had only felt like yesterday that he had been trapped in his office and desperately trying to avoid those eyes.

_Let me out._

_No._

Harry closed his eyes for a moment, trying to push away the thoughts of Sirius, not now, not in front of Mrs. Figg.

"Well, your words are full of comfort Potter." Mrs. Figg stated, "You better go back home and get some rest, you look dreadfully tired. I'll walk you to your house." Harry felt a flare of indignation, he didn't need an escort, but he let her lead the way back to Privet Drive, staying a little behind to master his emotions in peace, she had to good sense not to look behind her. Although Mrs. Figg could seem short and sour, underneath it all harry could see the more understanding side of her, the side that could detect weakness from a mile away, she had left him with his thoughts for a reason, she must have known what it was like to be watched while struggling for composure. Harry greatly admired her. They walked at a brisk pace and their footsteps echoed down the street. The wind had picked up again and the clouds uncovered a full moon. Remus, Harry wondered how he was doing, for he was the last of the three friends, three. Of course Harry had been swept up in his own grief; he had forgotten that he was not the only one morning for Sirius. Harry's heart ached. What must it feel like to lose a best friend? Harry couldn't even begin the fathom the depths of that emotion, what If he lost Ron? Or Hermione? He allowed a dark smile play across his lips, they would not die, even if it meant giving up everything that made him, him. Harry would gladly fall into Voldemort's hands, if he had taken them from him. Harry knew his thoughts were stupid and reckless. That he was the only one that could stop Voldemort, but the thought of losing those two, or anybody else just tore at Harry's heart. He came to the conclusion; his life would not be put over his friends.

Harry was aware of slowing footsteps so he drew his attention back to the road.

Mrs. Figg had turned to look at him, "Hurry up boy! We must get you back inside, safely." He looked at her and nodded, he quickened his pace, but as he walked under a street lamp, everything went dark. Harry glanced up and saw that the street lamp was cracked and flickering, he was about the comment on it when he realised that he couldn't see Mrs. Figg anymore. Harry looked about him, and gripped his wand tightly; the warmth gave him little comfort. His breath was loud and shaky and his green eyes darted around. Harry couldn't make out any shapes or see the previous surrounding that had framed the road and mere five seconds before. Just before Harry was about to call out, his vision swam before him.

* * *

Harry found himself in a room, in the centre of the room sat a girl. The girl! Her long and coiled dark hair fell lightly over her narrow shoulders and as Harry moved in front of her, he saw those dark cold eyes that held hidden warmth, her clear and smooth pale face was framed with the near raven locks and shadows could been seen underneath her high cheekbones. Long eye lashes cast shadows onto her colourless cheeks; she looked like she was ready for anything. Harry felt himself flush, the girl was clearly beautiful but somewhere deep down Harry remembered that looks could conceal the heart. He moved about the room and watched her silently, Harry waited with her.

The door opened with a creak and a sour looking man strode in the room, reminding Harry of Snape. He had brown cropped hair and watery blue eyes. His nose was unturned and his lips looked like they could have been frozen in a smirk for years. He wore a somewhat tatty suit and pointed and shined shoes. He was of average height and held a bitter presence. He walked around the desk which Harry had failed to notice and sat in a high backed chair; he placed his two hands together and observed the girl in front of him.

"Miss Caprice. Sorry to remove you from your room at such an early hour," he said with little sympathy "But I must inform you certain arrangements." He paused to take a breath and cleared his throat; Harry was reminded of Umbridge and the way she used to make that annoying little cough to grant her attention. "As you know, your parents are no longer with us and we know that this happened long ago, but I must bring back their untimely deaths as it seems I have discovered some family relations." He paused for a dramatic effect.

Harry looked at the girl with sympathy; she had lost her parents to. Harry studied her face to detect some grief but he found none. She had a poker face that could compete with Snape's. Instead of replying she moved her hand to her face and tucked and unruly strand of hair behind her studded ears. She leant forward and the rest of her hair fell like curtains over her shoulders, the glossy waves catching the light. As she leant forward a silver necklace was exposed. The necklace had a bold silver chain that had no links; instead it was like a line of expensive shimmering white that reflected the contents of the room. At the end of the silver lining hung a silver wolf, the wolf prowled a symbol that Harry didn't recognise. Harry looked up at the man on the other side of the desk, his eyes glinted silver and Harry growled.

"Are you telling me," Harry gasped and leapt back, her voice! High and cold, just like... "That I have a family member waiting for me?" Her menacing eyes narrowed and even the man looked a little afraid before he shook himself and nodded sharply. The girl sat back and let out a bored sigh. "Am I leaving this place?"

"I assure you Miss. Caprice, you won't be missed." The man said with a glare. "Stockwell Orphanage will be glad to see the back of you." He smiled with a hint of malevolence. The girl snorted and he lost the little authority he had held before. He was angry and Harry could see fire in his eyes. For a moment Harry worried for the girl. Stockwell... The word triggered something in the back of his mind, but the more he tried to grasp for the answer, the more it slipped away. Harry gave in and turned back to the scene. The man looked towards the door and called out, "You can enter now Mr. Malfoy." Harry's heart stopped and he held his breath. He faced the door as it slowly opened and a tall man with long white blonde hair and cruel gray eyes walked forward obviously disgusted at his surroundings. He had never been a man to hide his thoughts. Harry refused to move from the doors entrance but that couldn't stop Lucius Malfoy walking right through him and entering the slightly colder room.

The girl turned in her seat and Malfoy glared down his nose at the child. She glowered back and promptly turned away from him. Lucius sniffed and then addressed the man,

"Could you leave us alone for introductions." Lucius added a dazzling smile but Harry could see right through it, his disgust wasn't completely hidden. The mad observed him and then after a few seconds nodded and left the room, Harry watch him pass through the doorway but he turned away before he could see a hand cover the man's face and snatch him from the corridor. His death was silent and quick.

Malfoy paced across the room and settled himself in the dead man's chair. The girl looked expectantly at him and was unaware of the murder that had just been committed. He leant forward and placed his pointed elbows upon the old desk, crumpling forms and causing pens to roll off the desk. He smirked at the girl before saying,

"I am Lucius Malfoy." He paused only to realise that name would have no effect here, "I was called and informed that you are part of our family tree, albeit distant." The girl looked back at Malfoy and Harry watched her closely.

What did he want with her anyway? Harry had been hoping that this girl was light, but then again anything Harry saw through his scar was always evil. Harry wanted to scream at the girl, to make her run, or anything. Harry knew that if she made a wrong move here, she would be dead.

"I don't believe you." She said with her chin raised. Wrong move. Harry wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her! How could she not sense his power? Did she even realise what she was doing? Harry closed his eyes; he could not blame her, for she was only a muggle, right? He opened his eyes warily to watch what would happen next.

Lucius stood and prowled around her chair, she didn't follow his movement with her dark eyes, and instead, stared at where he had originally sat.

"What makes you say that child?" Malfoy drawled.

"I can sense a liar from a mile away. Sir." Her cold voice stopped Malfoy in his tracks; maybe Harry wasn't the only one who thought her voice sounded lik-

"You're calling me a liar?" Lucius spat, stopping in front of her and leaning forward menacingly.

"Brilliant observational skills, sir." Her tone was quite polite, but nobody could miss the sarcasm in those eyes. Those eyes that flashed red for a second...

Lucius jerked back and Harry made a similar movement, both men were questioning what they had seen; all the while the girl had a light smile upon her pale lips.

"Miss. Caprice, I will excuse your behaviour for now, but I must insist you accept that a home has been found for you. I can accommodate for you, I can provide for you, I assure you, money isn't an object." Harry glared at the man, he was bribing her. Harry chuckled and said to himself _brilliant deduction_ in the same way the girl had, moments before. Harry jumped when the girl suddenly laughed out loud, her laugh, it was the only thing that made Harry feel reassured, her laugh was warm, nothing like _his._

Harry looked for any sign that the girl could see him, he waved his hands in front of her face and bounced up and down for a while, after he felt rather foolish and grinned to himself as he blushed, thankful that nobody could see him.

"See, I could believe you," she started, Harry sighed "And go along with your little plan, but what's to stop you from calling in your friends the..." She looked intently at the blonde man who looked shocked and angry, "Deatheaters? Original, I must say. And taking me with you even without my permission?" She stood as she let her words hang in the air, she now faced the door and Malfoy and made no attempt of escape, she knew how trapped she was.

"How did yo-" Lucius started but he was cut off,

"Know? I like to look a little deeper when meeting a person for the first time; I find it usually helps me avoid your type." The girl was smirking now and to be frank the look on Malfoy's face was quite amusing, but even Harry had the good sense not to laugh, even though he couldn't be seen.

"Why you insolent little brat!" Malfoy could hardly call her little, for now she was standing, Harry could see how tall she was, tall and thin...With long spidery fingers...

Malfoy rushed across the room and grabbed the girl by her throat, she wasn't smiling anymore, yet she wasn't showing fear either, in fact her expression was quite plain. She wasn't arrogant, but she wasn't fearful. Harry couldn't decide if these traits went well together.

Malfoy pushed her back against the wall and slightly lifted her, she was tall, but he was taller. Now on her tip toes the girl was starting to turn blue. Harry stood with fists clenched and watched with stony eyes, he was frustrated, he couldn't do a thing to help the poor girl whose eyes were becoming dull. "I suggest you watch your tongue, girl." He said in a low voice that was full of poison.

"I can hardly talk back when you're strangling me." The girl choked out and let a bitter laugh escape her lips before her breathing subsided and her head began to loll. Lucius hissed and turned and released his grip, she hardly recovered before he threw her to the ground and stepped down hard on her left arm. The girl buckled in pain but did not yell out. Harry noticed a growing dark mark beneath her head and he watched as she reached behind her head and delicately prodded her skull; fingers coming away, soaked with blood. She looked angrily up at Malfoy and hardly noticed his foot as she began to sit herself upright, "That. Hurt." She said simply, but Harry couldn't help himself from shivering as her voice travelled across the room and slightly echoed.

"Not to worry my dear," Lucius said while smiling sweetly "the worst is yet to come." He pressed down harder on her arm caused her to flinch and flick blood across her black shirt. Lucius bent down and grasped her collar in a fist, ripping the fabric; his face was now about two inches away from her own.

"I look forward to it." The girl said in a sickly sweet tone. She grabbed his ankle and caused him to over balance, Harry almost jumped for joy as he watched Malfoy topple and launch into and roll over the girls shoulder. She quickly recovered and instead of running she pounced on her attacker and pinned his arms to the floor. "Defeated by a teenage girl." She said mockingly.

"Don't be so sure child." Said a woman's voice, she added a cruel cackle as she watched Malfoy break the girls grip and shove her off him. Her distraction had given the silver deatheater his chance. He quickly stood and walked slowly over to where Bellatrix stood; twirling her wand. Harry had spun around when he had heard the voice,

_I killed Sirius Black, I killed Sirius Black!_

Harry felt rage run wild through his body, rooting him to the spot. Oh what he would do to her, next time they met.

The girl looked defiantly up at the pair, not attempting to stand again. Maybe she had been hurt more than she let on.

"Bind her, gag her and move out." Bellatrix said loudly, never taking her eyes off the girl who now looked around the room with wide eyes. Two more deatheaters with silver masks strode in the room, ropes held at their sides. One of them hauled her up and held her arms behind her back and wound the ropes tightly around her small wrists, while the other faced her. She clamped her mouth shut until he reached out a squeezed her wind pipe until she gasped. Taking the chance, the deatheater roughly shoved a strip of black cloth into her mouth and the other deatheater took each end and tied a tight knot at the back of her head. It was too tight and not even a whimper could be heard from the girl.

Harry stared in shook at the brutality, he also lightly wondered why they hadn't stunned her with magic, maybe, just for now, the deatheaters wanted to keep that a secret. Harry wondered why.

The girl was dragged from the room and forced to step over the cold and lifeless body of the man in charge of her safety. Full realisation hit the young girl and she began to shake her head.

"What's that?" Malfoy asked with a smile in his grey eyes, "Can't understand you child, you must not mumble, it's terribly rude." The deatheaters laughed and the girl struggled against her bonds so that she could freely attack the blonde man who now walked toward the entrance. Harry walked by the side of the girl and hoped she would be safe.

The group gathered outside and Bellatrix turned to the two deatheaters,

"Burn it to the ground." The two men turned and set alight the orphanage. The girl turned and let out a muffled yell.

Harry watched in horror as he saw the fire spread and heard the first screams of the parentless children...

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, i only own my original creations **

**Well, part three! You have no idea how long this took me to write! Now i'm uploading it in the early hours of the morning! But it's worth it! Now to smooth some things over, Stockwell Orpanage is indeed the place Voldemort grew up, but before you slaughter me, i know in the Deathly Hallows Harry discovered it was gone... Now we know why...**

**Any questions? Don't hesistate to ask!**

**Reviews are welcome! **


	4. Glimpse of evil

Chapter 4

Harry lay on his bed. He'd only been out for an hour so Harry couldn't rise for the morning just yet. He turned onto his side and winced in pain, the ground had been unmerciful and now that Harry had begun to grow, the drop was further. Harry was still shaking from the vision, from the screaming, the pain. What had shook Harry the most was the look on that girls face, for a short moment, she had lost composure and her face had cracked. The noise that had come from her made Harry's heart ache, she had longed to save the burning children, and Harry could see the guilt in her eyes.

Harry's scar itched, as it always did after making him pass out, he rubbed at it again and as his fingers touched his forehead, the old scar burned with a new type of pain. Harry yelled before he was sent into oblivion.

* * *

-Tom Marvolo Riddle- Was printed in a delicate scrawl at the top on the first page of a scruffy black leather diary. She tenderly picked it up by the corner as if the book disgusted her, she could see from the outside that the pages were torn and yellow with age, the girl curled her lip and frowned as she glared down at the book which had been tossed aside and left in the path of any person that happened to walk past. She brought the book closer to her face so she could study the creased lines that wove their way across the back. The girl slowly laid her hand down on the cover and almost as soon as touched it, she drew back. She clearly wanted to know what was hidden beneath the thick binding of old leather, but the girl looked it she wasn't sure if it was safe to know. She stroked the edge of the cover again. Then, she opened the diary and an absurd breeze hit her face and pushed back her long blonde hair. Her eyes widened and a cold feeling enveloped Harry's frozen thoughts. She let out a small gasp-

"How," said a voice just as harsh, "did a filthy muggle, get its insignificant hands on my possessions?" The deathly pale boy let the threat hang in the air before he reached forward and snatched the book from her hands. Harry flinched. The boy had dark brown eyes and thick black hair. He was thin and tall, and he seemed to emanate a feeling of grace, yet mixed with horrific violence. Harry instantly thought of Voldemort, of course the girl was oblivious and she puffed out her chest and spoke directly back, holding his eyes with a glare that made Harry quiver, he never knew she could pull that off.

"Don't you talk to me like that!" She stuttered, it sounded like she was pleading with him. Tom smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes and it was fake through and through. Harry could see what he was thinking behind that mask of a face, the girl looked at him with narrowed eyes, as if she was reading his mind,

The dark 16 year old glared and he held out his arm and clenched his fist. His mouth parted slightly and after a few brief seconds the girl was screaming and thrashing on the ground, Harry's heart reached out to her, as she stopped screaming and looked up at Tom with tears in her eyes. He looked down without pity and he sneered,

"Welcome to Stockwell Orphanage…Selena." And with that, he twisted around and stalked down the corridor

_The girl collapsed and fainted._

* * *

Harry reached out in his dreams. The scene changed and Harry found himself in her room. She sat on her bed, lost in thought.

* * *

The orphanage was a grim place, it was dark and dingy, but they looked cared for...To some extent . The girl looked like she hardly came from her room, which was just opposite Riddle's. Damn luck.

Harry thought about Being alone, and how it never made him feel. Separate. That emotion just never overcame him.

The girl was now extremely thin and her pale skin was only disrupted by dark shadows under her dark eyes. The girl glanced at the door and Harry thought he could here faint footsteps. Tom.

The girl stood and walked towards the door. Harry heard the creak and seconds later his ragged breath haunting the door way. She looked frightened as she reached for the door.

The door flew open

Tom simply glared at her. His gaze then wandered to the girl's room behind her.

She was quite the artist, her walls were covered in paintings and drawings and scripts. Throughout the display there was a regular theme; that strip of cliffs.

Harry felt something tugging at the back of his mind

His brown eyes glinted red as he picked out the images. Although his mind was defended, not even he could keep that glint of anger out of his empty eyes. The circled darkness raked over my walls again and he opened his twisted thin lips creating a dark hole where I wouldn't be surprised lay a forked tongue. Harry's initial reaction was to step back, but using all the will power he could muster Harry stayed rooted to the spot. Tom's mouth closed and a small knowing smile crept onto his face, as if he could see his internal struggle.

The girl stared back into his eyes, she wouldn't let him intimidate her, and she looked like she wouldn't be prey of pain. It didn't matter what Harry could do, Tom bared his sharp glinting teeth and a hiss wound its way through the cold night air. Harry and the girl flinched as he tilted his face forwards and took her wrist in his steely grasp;

"I must speak with you." He uttered in a bitter detached tone. He stepped into the room pushing her backwards ever so slightly, but his intentions were clear, he was here for a reason and she was not permitted to resist.

The door scuffed the floor as it swung back; the echoes reverberated through the halls...

_Harry woke for a few seconds to see Hedwig with a note, but before Harry could reach for it, he was back under_

The door snapped shut and Harry heard a whooshing noise that sounded like the door had been air locked. Tom threw the girl across the room and she landed in front of the small table causing the light resting on top of it to shudder and almost topple. Her head collided with the draws and she looked dazed. She raised a hand to the back of her head and her fingers came away drenched with blood.

"So nobody can hear us." Tom stated, she looked confused and she squinted.

The girl looked completely calm, which was saying something. She was alone, far from any help and even though Harry knew he couldn't be touched, his heart was racing and he was shaking uncontrollably.

The girl shook her head and she watched as Tom paced towards the bed and sat himself down. He had a fowl glare on his face and he was curling his fists into balls. It was a while before he said anything. He acted like she wasn't even there and he didn't seem to be fazed that the girl had a gash which was quickly draining her of blood. "You know of the coast. How?" he spat at her. She looked back into his smooth handsome face which was ruined by that lingering presence of utter evil. His dark eyes searched her face and his brow deepened when the girl didn't answer straight away. "I said. How do you know of this place?" His hand grasped at her throat. He knelt down and leaned in towards the girl, his nose almost touching her own. "Tell. ME!" and the pain hit her again.

She thrashed under his grip and she endured the inescapable pain for less than a minute, but to Harry, it felt like hours. The girl arched her back as the pain seemed to intensify and she let out a sob as she closed her eyes, as if she was trying to shut out the horrific feeling. The whole time Tom never let the girl loose, smiling as he watched her suffer. He had a small glint in his eye which Harry knew meant he had control. He could see that he was used to making people suffer for answers. He knew, he foresaw, that the girl would crack.

The girl scratched against his hand which still clutched her neck, and then she slowly reached forward and tried to capture the front of his shirt so she could shake him free of her. Finally after a mere forty seconds the pain lifted and the girl slumped against the draws. Her breathing was jumpy and she couldn't control herself, she couldn't stop shaking. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Tom chuckled and wiped the girl's forehead with his sleeve; he then lifted her chin and looked directly into her face. His fingers were under her chin and his hand loosened on her neck. "Care to answer me quicker?" Harry glared at him and waited until she could breathe, she stared right back into those eyes and a small smile spread across her face.

"The filthy muggle is asked for help?" she paused as the girl let out a bark of laughter. Tom's fingers began to dig into her cheek. "I saw the coast in your mind. It dominates your thoughts; it's like your screaming out constantly. You should master more control Riddle." Tom bashed her head against the table and he let out a growl of frustration. The girl sagged back and her eyes flickered.

"How can you posses the skill? You are not a witch, are you not? Whose family do you belong to?" she tried to comprehend his words. She bit her lip as if holding back retort and slowly, she drew a deep breath.

"I don't know, why do you think I am here?" Tom was now pacing in front of where she had been tossed. He turned and pointed a long slender finger at the girl's face,

"You were able to pick up my book; you were able to open its pages. You must have magical blood within your veins." she held back a crazed giggle,

"You expect me to believe in magic? That's child's play." His head spun towards her and he frowned.

"You think I'm joking?" His voice was menacing and after he spoke there was a cold feeling in the air. Flashes of the pain crossed my eyes and Harry flinched, the girl frowned. Tom smiled smugly and with arrogance, "Or not."

The imaged changed again and Harry had been thrown into darkness for a while before he found himself in the same room. It was light and the girl sat writing in her diary, a bandage coiled itself around her head.

Harry sat next to her and read over her shoulder

_November 19__th__ 1943_

_The hospital was a boring place to be held for four hours; the nurses fixed my head and bandaged it up tight until my head had hurt. It had been quite hard to explain to Mrs. Cole what had happened when she had found me on the floor this morning. I don't want to tell her it was Tom, but somehow I got the feeling that she already knew. Tom has been acting rash, but then that is how he always acts. His violence towards me hurt's, it actually hurts to think about it. The feeling of not being in control scares me, but I am set, I will not let this show, I can't let him see how I feel. _

_I saw the coast in his mind again._

Harry tilted his head as he tried to understand her words. The coast was quite an interesting topic for her.

The next time they saw Tom was at dinner in the evening after her visit to the hospital ward. The rest of the children seemed wary about the girl's mental state, as if they expected her to burst out and start babbling about absurd fairy tales. She gave them all a cool stare to confirm that she was all there; they glanced away quickly after her gaze had met theirs. Harry laughed. She sat at one end of the table, and Tom sat directly opposite, head of the other end. Nobody sat near him and instead crowded her end of the table, which looked like it caused chaos. Although nobody said anything, all the children seemed to lean away from Tom, as if their natural instinct was to put as much distance between themselves and him. Harry couldn't blame them, for Tom had a ghostly smile that played across his pale lips. He ate little and never made eye contact with anyone. Smiling all the while.

The girl started to remember something and Harry saw the projected image on the wall of the dining hall.

_When she had returned from the hospital, there had been a moment, as he passed her on the stairs as he had descended. Harry could feel the cold and it brushed back her silver hair, Harry felt her remember the flash of his clothing, sweep over her skin; sending shivers up the girl's spine and raised bumps on her arms. She had only paused for a brief moment, her foot hovering over the next step, she had then glanced towards his chalky face and their eyes had met, his glinting reddish brown eyes gazed into her own dark ones, a flash of evil presented itself, enveloping his glare and Harry and the girl blinked. The moment had passed, where for a few minor seconds, _Harry's mind had raced, yet his heart was beating faster.

* * *

The image swirled and Harry heard the distant sound of the sea, the noise grew louder and Harry felt the wind rip at his t-shirt. His vision became lighter and he saw Tom holding the girl over a cliff edge.

Harry sprinted to the pair and jerked back in horror, he couldn't do anything to help! He could only watch as Tom mouthed something to the girl. Her eyes were wide and she let out a silent scream. She nodded at Tom and before Harry could curse once more, Tom tackled her around the waist and they both dropped over the side...

* * *

Harry yelled as he was plunged into darkness once again. Harry felt terror rip through his body, he'd killed her! How could she survive a fall like that, how could he? Then again Harry had seen him use magic without a wand before, could that be detected? Harry was sure it could. Yet how had Tom got away with it, all those years?

* * *

Harry started to see a muggle high street, it was raining and clouds covered most of the gray sky. Harry noticed he was walking and he looked around him. He saw her, just ahead, through the crowd, running, blonde hair streaming behind her. Harry began to run and he felt himself take out a wand. Not his wand. Harry looked down and his heart fluttered as he saw the bone white wand that belonged to Voldemort. His paced quickened and Harry felt himself long to reach the girl. As he passed a shop window, Harry saw the light reflection of a ragged Tom Riddle, his eyes were bloodshot and he wasn't clean shaven. He was a sickly yellow colour and Harry couldn't figure out why he looked like that. Then it hit him. He was Riddle; he was the one chasing the girl who had just turned around the corner and entered an ally way, Harry felt himself smile

_All the more easy, old friend. _

Harry tried to stop himself from laughing madly as he followed the girl; he turned and saw her retreating back. He lifted his white hand and shot a curse which caused her to tumble. Harry yelled, trapped inside the evil man. Harry felt himself walk slowly towards the body on the ground that began to move feebly. She turned over and flicked the long blonde hair out of her eyes. She glared up at him as she had done all those years ago.

Harry felt guilt well up inside, that was his emotion, not Voldemort's, he could never feel remorse.

The girl got to her feet and stood her ground, she knew her death was approaching and she was determined to face it standing.

"He came to see you, didn't he?" Harry felt his jaw move. The girl stared defiantly back.

"He did, but I never said a word." She pursued her lips and crossed her arms across her thin torso.

"Ah, I knew that, that is why I took your husband. A little leverage always seals the deal." She nodded and bared her teeth slightly.

"What are you waiting for then Tom?" Harry hissed and unconnected angry overran him for a few seconds.

"That. Is not my name." She laughed and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"Then what is your name, Tom?" She knew that named made him angry and Harry wished she would just run for it.

"Why enlighten you, when you are about to die, child." Now it was her turn to hiss,

"I was a child a long time ago; and you had the pleasure of stealing the remains." Harry heard himself chuckle.

"Ah, yes, those days were fruitful, you were quite useful, I cannot deny."

"Glad to lend a hand Tom." She smiled sarcastically, Harry could visualise his evil leer in return.

"You always saw the cliffs, till this day I still cannot figure out how." Interest grabbed at Harry,

"Why enlighten you, when I'm about to die." Harry felt another laugh rip through him and felt his arm point the wand at the girl who observed it.

"Goodbye Selena Eva Wreath, give your husband my farewell." The girl gasped and leapt forward, only to meet the green curse that flew from Harry's wand. No –Voldemort's wand. She fell dead on the floor.

Harry's vision began to darken and he hoped that he was awakening. No such luck.

* * *

The three year old boy with dark hair and eyes sat huddled in the dark room; he cradled his baby sister who lay in his arms shivering. Their mother had fled, left them to the darkness and the cold. The young boy sniffed and wiped a tear away from his pale face. The girl in his arms began to wake and started to cry feebly. Harry watched with dull eyes as he took in the scene. The young ones had been orphaned minuets ago. Their fathers body lay dead in front of the pair, he had been thrown down by the men in long robes and silver faces that never moved. They had hid, whimpering softly in the shadows. The men were gone now. The boy watched his father's unmoving eyes and his face began to crease with grief, for a child, he could understand death perfectly.

The sounds became less and Harry was removed from that old, dark room.

* * *

Harry now followed the grown boy; who was running down a marble stair case. His wand was out and he was cursing under his breath. Harry glanced behind them and saw nobody coming, but this felt like a chase. They reached the bottom and faint screams could be heard.

"Lea..." The boy whispered. The screams stopped before another yell joined the first. "And Delano too? The bastard!" He spat to the side and Harry began to notice, he wasn't a boy anymore. Before Harry could think further, the man burst through the oak door and yelled a disarming spell.

Tom Riddle flicked his wrist and deflected the charm. He turned around properly and Harry could see behind him two figures, holding hands and smiling into each other's eyes.

"No Livy? I see...All alone with Andrew is she?" Harry watched as the man gripped his wand so hard his hand began to shake.

"Get away from my sister!" Harry now looked at Voldemort properly; his hair was hanging lip and the shine was gone, his eye sockets looked empty apart from the red irises. His cheek bones jutted out and caused long shadows to taint his once perfect face. The charm was gone, now his face truly reflected the soul he hid.

"And risk missing the look on your face when I kill her? Never." The man took a step forward, but before he could raise his wand again Voldemort shot him with a nasty purple spell that knocked him off his feet and pushed him against the stone wall. Voldemort laughed hysterically before turning again. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"LEA!" A green shock enveloped the room and Harry fell into the darkness.

* * *

Harry smiled as he watched the woman called Jade lean forward and kiss her husband; they sat in a muggle high school next to a girl with short choppy yet stylish white blonde hair. She had her arms crossed and she glared at the opposite wall, as if hoping to break through it and run. Her pale green eyes unnerved Harry and she began to frown.

"Not here." She said simply, her parents looked at her fondly; with smiles on their warm faces.

"When you start to board here you'll miss us." The man teased as he rubbed noses with his pretty wife.

"I'm sure I'll survive." She said, trying to keep the grin off her face.

_It changed_

Harry found himself outside a room; the door was quite plain apart from the name that had been carved into it.

_Ella Ann Wreath_

Harry heard sobs and before he woke up he heard the wheels of a car screeching and the screams of the wedded pair...

* * *

**Hey! I'd like to say, thanks for all the wonderful reviews and as always, as me anything!**

**This part is confusing, i know! I'm trying to explain a timeline as well as developing Harry AND adding in new characters! Phew! If you're confused message me!**

**Reviews are always welcomed!**


	5. Beginning again

Ebony stumbled a little for what seemed like the hundredth time,

"Move it." Mutter a voice from a silver mask, the moon light gleamed across the cheekbones and the dark eyes held no insight.

"Alright, alright." Ebony said in a muffled sigh. It was typical for her to get in this situation, she had always felt like a magnet for danger, everything happened to her, even if it was just the smallest trouble.

Ebony set her gaze on the long white blonde hair that fell gracefully down the back of the man who strode before her. The cruel beauty of it ensnared her mind; if only she had known. The clocked men walked around her like a tainted prison, keeping her from escape and shutting out the daylight. The woman with wild curly hair who had ordered the start of the fire walked upfront next to Malfoy with a crazed leer upon her face. She walked like a child, she danced across the pavement as if she was in a world of her own, but Ebony didn't doubt her mind, she knew that the curly hair hid an incisive mind riddled with darkness.

"Where will we move the girl to?" The woman asked as she glanced back at Ebony, with gleeful eyes.

"The Dark Lord, doesn't want her apparated, not sure why. I didn't like to ask, he was in a rage." Lucius shivered and the woman almost looked fearful. Almost, but it was hidden well. Ebony hadn't missed it though; she reeled with curiosity, who was this Dark Lord? The wind picked up again and she began to shiver, she had no coat, just her black shirt and skinny jeans that were full of holes and the bottom of the legs were plastered with cracked dirt. _I must have an impression_, Ebony thought dryly. Goose bumps rose on her pale arms and she tried to shift them into a more comfortable position. The bonds cut into her wrists and she hissed.

Both Malfoy and the woman twisted round sharply.

"What did you say?" Curly dark hair lifted for a fraction of a second as the words escaped her lips as a whisper. Ebony stared back at her, she and the blonde man looked shocked and Lucius even looked afraid.

"She can't, can she? Only he and the bo-"

"NO."

"Bellatrix, what if-"

"I said, no!" the pair faced each other, the woman Ebony now knew as Bellatrix stared at the taller man, her breathing was heavy and she looked flushed. She turned and walked on, "You were saying, Lucius?" He took a while to take in the words. Gray eyes still rested on Ebony before he replied,

"He ordered us not to lose her; it would not do well to lose someone with the same value as the Potter boy." The other men turned their heads towards her,

"She has a price on her head, does she not?"

"From what I gathered, she popular with the Dark Lord; he asked to bring her unharmed, did he not?" the man looked back and sneered at her, "He wants to talk to her personally before he sets the plan into action."

"You know about what he seeks?" Bellatrix asked sharply,

"Isn't it obvious? But no, he did not enlighten me."

"Could she really be tha-" Malfoy cut her off

"Not here." Bellatrix looked mildly annoyed before asking,

"How does he expect us to deliver her then?" Ebony made an indignant snort, she was nobody's package. They both glared at her and Lucius walked slowly over to her, the other men backed up slightly and made a small ring around the scene. Ebony stood her ground, thinking if only she could defend herself. Lucius raised a long black wooden stick. At the end, a snakes head, made of silver, had been attached. He studied the look on her face; Ebony didn't see the relevance or threat to the stick.

He placed it under her chin and lifted upwards, the stick was warm and Ebony had a bad feeling about what it could do.

"The filthy girl doesn't even know what this is." Lucius said, almost to himself while he continued to stare at her. Ebony met the gray gaze and held it strong; she would win something back, for the sake of her dignity.

Bellatrix cackled.

"She doesn't know! Oh the fun had just begun boys!" She walked behind Ebony and she wanted to watch her, but Lucius held her face forward. Bellatrix laughed again before screaming something in a different tongue, it sounded like, "CRUCIO!"

What felt like a wall of air hit her from behind and pushed her to the ground, before she could even think, Ebony was twisting in pain, as if her whole body was immersed in fire. A chocked sob escaped her lips but it couldn't be heard over the laughter, the cruel laughter that surrounded her crippled form. Ebony had never felt pain like this before, her head hurt and the blood rushed in her ears. The pavement tipped like a boat ride and she began to bang against it, her arms twisted and strained, shot another round of pain up her arms and finally with a loud CRACK, her arms broke. The pain stopped, Ebony lay there, shocked into silence, and a single tear ran down her cheek. Breathing heavily Ebony closed her eyes and wished she was anywhere but here. For a moment, she blacked out.

* * *

_The boy with rounded frames jumped back from the silver bowl that lay upon a desk, he was pale and skinny, behind those glasses, shone green eyes, eyes that were momentarily dulled. He swept black messy hair from his eyes before looking up and asking in a shaky voice,_

"_Sir, what happened? The girl with the book, he he- He used her? Why did he, why?" The boy's voice was shaky, as if he just met death. An old voice replied _

"_He wanted her to test his trap, his protection barriers. In order to complete the cave, he needed the blood on an innocent to seal the pact. In order to enter, you must give what weakens you." The boy stared at the anonymous figure and anger flashed red in his eyes. "We know what we're looking for now," the aged voice continued, he slammed down a black book that had been pierced by an object so destructive, the leather binding had disintegrated "One, this had been destroyed. Alas, there's one thing we missed. He turned to book over and scratched onto the back was an inscription; it looked fresh, as if it had only been drawn. _

_The boy looked down and read the first line_

"_The one with the sway to set the balance will be born under the line of peril-_

* * *

Blissful darkness was torn away as Ebony felt arms shaking her awake. The pain from her broken bones reached her mind and she screamed behind her gag. Her vision had not been fully restored but she saw shadows standing over her and talking.

"... I think we should heal her"

"...If he found out"

"...She was supposed to be unharmed." The talking stopped and Lucius muttered something. A warm feeling began to crawl over her skin before Ebony could relax into its embrace another CRACK shook her.

"God damn it! Would you stop doing that?" her words didn't have much effect as the gag held onto the sound. Someone lightly kicked her before saying,

"Get her up; we don't want to cause a scene." She was roughly pulled to her feet and Ebony was shocked to find that no pain hit her. Her arms had been healed. The black parade walked on, as if nothing had happened.

* * *

Harry sat by the fence in the garden, out of the light, he had positioned himself behind the bushes so that he could rest in peace and let his mind wonder. Free from worries about the Dursleys. He bounced a green tennis ball against the patio and hoped each time that the ball would bounce back into his hand so that he wouldn't have to move to fetch it. Harry thought about the night before; surely he wasn't being controlled? And if it had been by Voldemort, Harry was sure that his plan would have worked. Harry tried to remember why he had gone out that night, but all he could recall were flashes of dark hair and pale skin. None of this comforted him, seeing as it reminded him far too much of the sixteen year old Voldemort. His scar ached again, Voldemort was up to something and Harry couldn't do anything about it, he just had to sit there and wait for it to come.

For a second the world went black and all Harry heard was the loud lick of fire, he felt tremendous heat and his lungs were filled with black smoke. Panic override Harry and he jolted awake, hacking and spluttering. He fell back against the fence and started to feel cooler. What was that? His lesions with Snape defiantly didn't work. Last year had been a total waste of time.

Sudden anger overcame him and not all of it could have been related to his thoughts. _Close your mind _Harry thought angrily. But what was the use, Voldemort probably had all the information he needed, he'd had two years to gather the pieces. Hermione would definitely be annoyed that he was giving up so easily. Harry sighed in relief, the pain had finally subsided.

Harry looked up at the sky and decided it was about time for him to be making the dinner; it was always his turn on a Friday night, but usually he did it every night, maybe if he was lucky, his aunt would decide that his cooking skills weren't up to the job, and she would take over, but that always meant less food, as she conveniently over filled Dudley's plate every time.

He lifted himself from the ground only to meet sharp pains that ran over his scar. He yelped and held his head, the pain intensified and Harry let out a strangled yelled before he keeled over on the grass and blacked out.

* * *

_Harry heard a girls scream. He snapped his head around, towards the sound. He found himself down a dark alleyway, it was raining lightly and he could hear leaves blowing in the wind. He shivered. The screaming got worse and Harry sprinted down the alleyway and almost slipped over. He righted himself and turned the corner. He spotted a group of hooded men, draped in black. Harry stopped short; Deatheaters. His breathing slowed and he took a few careful steps forward. Harry spotted a girl on the pavement, she was gagged and her arms were tied behind her back. Harry watched her face as it turned pale. Her screams were muffled and Harry was surprised to see that she wasn't crying. Harry had cried under the torture curse. He looked on with empathy. He saw the black wand pointed towards the girl and followed up the arm, until his eyes rested on Bellatrix LeStrange. Harry growled under his breath, he yelled. They didn't turn. Harry felt confusion rush through him. They couldn't hear him? Could they see him? Harry ran forward; fear forgotten. He stood between a Deatheater and the girl on the floor. The dark eyes did not rest upon him. Harry smiled to himself, but before he could contemplate any further; he heard a sound like a gun shot. He turned around and time seemed to slow as he gazed down upon the girl's arms which were so strangely angled. _

_Bile rose in his throat. Her arms had snapped with a loud crack. Harry glared at Bellatrix who stepped back, looking triumphant. Then, Lucius Malfoy stepped forward. Harry jumped; he hadn't seen him before. Why were they all here anyway? Was it muggle torture? _

_Lucius whispered something in Bellatrix's ear and she reluctantly healed the girl who was just coming back to reality. Harry was pleased that she had been able to escape the pain for a short while. The girl was dragged to her feet, she looked shocked and a flash of red crossed her eyes._

_Harry remembered._

_She was the girl from the orphanage. _

_Harry started to wake as he heard an old voice whisper something in his ear_

_Those who bore her lost to the force that continues down the path of defiance..._

* * *

Harry woke; cold and soaked from head to toe. He opened his eyes and stared up at Dudley; who held the watering hose above his face; dripping.

"What is wrong with you?" Harry almost yelled at Dudley, who grinned and then replied,

"You was rolling around like a mad man; someone had to wake you up. We was getting hungry." Harry stood up slowly and looked at the large boy in front of him. Now Harry was taller, he felt slightly less vulnerable.

"I'll get your dinner." Harry spat at him and walked towards the house, banging his shoulder against his cousin.

* * *

Ebony was free of her gag and binds but she wasn't any closer to escape. After the pain she had been put through she had decided that her best option would be to escape; she didn't want to be anywhere near this "Dark Lord" if this was how his followers treated people.

Now, Ebony was walking out of the train station after leading the group through the London underground. Surprisingly enough, they didn't stand out in their black robes; although they did remove their masks. Ebony remembered sitting on that train between normal people while feeling the constant glares of about eight men and Bellatrix. Ebony hadn't tried to lead them astray, one, she didn't want to go through that pain again, but more importantly she didn't want anyone to get caught in the cross fire.

She stood outside Oxford Circus and waited as she had been told, for the others to arrive. Ebony had felt this small repressed feeling of guidance, which whispered to her from the back of her mind. The high cold voice always told her to follow orders. Usually this would have caused Ebony to resist, but the voice held so much authority, she couldn't help but listen to it.

Ebony felt someone behind her and before she could turn around, the man had gripped her wrist. The movement was so flawless; nobody would think anything of it. Ebony silently begged that a passerby would stop to ask what was going on, but then her mind went cold. She remembered the sickening pain, and dismissed the thought of strangers coming to her rescue. They wouldn't stand a chance. Ebony was then lightly pushed forward by Lucius who walked so close to her, that he could point his stick against her spin. She shivered again. It was drawing close to twilight, not dark enough to be called night, yet not light enough to be referred to as the afternoon. The end of August was always chilly. It was now only a week until September and Ebony thought of her school. She wouldn't be returning back there. Would anybody miss her? Would anyone come looking for her?

Ebony was shoved through the crowd and people knocked into her, she was used to this treatment; London had always appealed to her. On the other hand the Deatheaters were not; Ebony heard snarls and bumps as the men shoved people back when one of them walked into them.

Finally Ebony spotted where she was headed. Alongside the pavement lay a black car with tinted windows and chrome handles. It was a sleek and smart looking car but Ebony had no intention of getting into it. Her breathing accelerated as she saw a gap in the crowd, the grip on her wrist had loosened a little as they drew nearer to the car. Time slowed as Ebony wrenched her arm from the blonde mans grip. She caught a surprised look on his face but before she let him recover, she shoved him as hard as she could and then screamed at the top of her lungs,

"AGHH! HELP! HE'S ATTACKING ME!" Several people stopped in their tracks and turned towards them. Ebony took her chance and ran through the small gap that was closing, ever so slightly. People dodged out of her way, and fixed the Deatheaters with glares. The group stared after Ebony but could not move. The crowd descended upon them and started punching and shoving, trying their best to corner the men that had tried to hurt the innocent girl that had now fled from their midst. The deatheaters could not move, not one man could get to Ebony. Not one man...

* * *

Harry was doing the washing up while staring out of the little window above the sink. He didn't watch what he was doing and just as expected; Harry cut himself on a knife that he'd handled with less care than he should of.

"gahh!" Harry exclaimed and hissed as blood leaked from the small cut on his index finger. "It's always the little ones that hurt the most!" He muttered to himself as he opened the cupboard with his other hand to retrieve a plaster. Unfortunately the small cut was the least of his problems when his scar seared with pain. Harry yelled out loud and expected to fall to the ground, but instead he stood rooted to the spot while images ran across his vision; momentarily blinding him.

* * *

_The girl was running through crowds of people; pushing them out of her way. She had no gag and her hands were free. The people of London seemed not to care about her behaviour; their attention was completely focused on the group robed in black. The masses where trying their best to punch, hit or even slap the men who looked on with glares. Lucius Malfoy was at the head of the group; he was shouting and pointing after where the girl had disappeared._

_Harry heard his yells, but he noticed something more important. Bellatrix was missing and Harry could hear her mad laughter getting further and further away..._

* * *

Harry came back to his kitchen and slammed his hands down on the work surface. He turned and ran towards the stair case, his Uncle stepped out from the living room and Harry had to skid to stop from crashing into him.

"Where do you think you're going? You haven't finished the dishes yet!" Harry let out an annoyed sigh and replied

"I'm just going to get a plaster from upstairs; I cut my finger" And he held up his hand for inspection.

"You better have not got blood everywhere boy!" He snorted before allowing him to pass. Harry resumed his scramble and arrived at his room; bursting through the door.

The girl was in trouble, the girl that he had gone out to save the other night. This time, he would not fail! Harry grabbed his wand from under the floorboards and slipped on a jacket before climbing out the window and hanging from the flower box so that he could drop lightly onto the beds below. He had seen his uncle fall from this height and Harry doubted he would be hurt.

He let go of the railing and landed on the soil; bending his knees to save his ankles. Harry ran into the night and caught the first train to London. Little did he know; he was being followed by a man with a silvery beard and a gray cap, holding a long black wand that didn't suit his nature.

* * *

Ebony raced down the station steps and realised she didn't have a ticket to get through the barriers. She ran over to the pay station and found no money in her pocket. Ebony let out a yell of despair. If she didn't hurry, Bellatrix would find her. She hadn't missed the laughter that had followed her. Ebony had almost given up when she spotted a ticket lying discarded on the station floor. She bent to "tie her shoelace" and slipped the ticket up her sleeve. Ebony then ran to the barrier with the shortest queue and hoped with all her might that she would get through.

Shaky hands pushed the ticket through the slot and it felt like years before the light went green and the gates opened. Almost overwhelmed by her own happiness she forgot about the danger that lay only feat behind her. Ebony rushed through the gates and sprinted for the stairs that led to the platform. Behind her she heard an indignant yelp as a woman with dark curly hair snatched a ticket from the man behind her. She slipped past the barrier and continued the chase.

Ebony knew Bellatrix was on her heels so when she reached the end of the stairs she turned left; onto the wrong platform. She then ran along it for a while, for good measure and then turned through the opening to the platform on the right; where a train was arriving.

Ebony made it through the doors just in time and clutched to the pole that was set in the middle of the train carriage. She glanced over her shoulder to look for Bellatrix. She found her. The woman stood, partially hidden by the shadows, hands balled into fists and in her left protruded her pointed branch that made Ebony shiver.

The train left the station and plunged into the dark tunnel ahead. Ebony was safe, for now...

* * *

Harry twiddled his thumbs as he waited for the next station to come. He had no idea how he was going to find her but a voice whispered in the back of his head, urging him to go to Bond Street which was the next station after St. John's Wood. His adrenalin was still pumping through him and it took all of his will power not to whip out his wand and magically move the train faster. Harry sat back against the carriage seat and shut his eyes for a moment. Suddenly he felt as if someone was watching him. His eyes snapped open and he looked around the carriage. It seemed perfectly normal to him; he was alone except for a girl who was listening to her ipod and an old man who sat reading his paper. Harry narrowed his eyes and wondered if he was becoming paranoid.

Harry glanced at his cracked watch and saw that it was ten o'clock, he wondered if his aunt and uncle had noticed his disappearance. He looked out the window and tried to make out the shapes that moved past the train. To no avail; it was quite a dark night.

* * *

Ebony arrived at Bond Street and ran off the train. Even though she felt as if she was safe, Ebony still jumped at the slightest movement. She ran up the stairs to the exit and passed safely through the gates. Ebony took one step outside and she wished she'd never left the train.

* * *

Harry arrived at Bakers Street and ran at full speed up the steps, he was almost there when what felt like an invisible hand caught the back of his jacket and pulled him over backwards; sending him crashing down the steps. Harry landed with a lump and what felt like a broken arm and blacked out.

Harry felt a hand on his forehead and his scar burned beneath it. He tried to sit up but soft hands pushed against his chest and kept him in place,

"Don't move, it'll only hurt more." Harry looked up and his eyes met with pale green ones, that where framed with white blonde hair. The woman only looked a few years older than him, but he recognised her from somewhere. "There's no need to look so frightened! I won't bite." She giggled a little and placed a hand on his aching arm. She gasped and moved it away, but not before Harry felt a warm sensation as the bone reformed and fixed.

"You're a witch!" Harry croaked.

"Well that's not a very nice thing to say!" Harry snorted,

"You healed my arm with magic!" The woman looked shocked and a little worried before she sputtered,

"You didn't hurt anything, maybe apart from your head..." Harry looked her in the eye,

"What's your name?" He hoped this might jog her memory.

"Ella Wreath, and you?" Harry searched his mind...And came up with nothing.

"Harry Potter, and I better be on my way." Harry hauled himself up and made to try the stairs again.

"You should see a doctor about that bump on your head." Ella called out

"I'll get right on it!" Harry replied as he climbed towards the open air.

Ebony ran, her shirt was torn and splattered with blood and her long hair danced behind her. The man in black was getting closer...

Harry came pelting out of the station only to run right into a man in grey robes. Harry fell to the floor and quickly picked himself up to apologise to the man who had miraculously stayed standing.

"I'm so sorry sir I-" Harry stopped mid sentence. He was face to face with Albus Dumbledore.

"No need Harry Potter, you're just who I was hoping to bump into." He looked over his half-moon glasses and inspected him, but something seemed missing, something seemed not quite right.

"Right, err, Sir I'm sorry for leaving-"

"Leaving?"

"Yes... Leaving the Dursley's?"

"Right of course, may I ask why you left?" Harry looked at his headmaster in confusion, usually Harry was the one asking questions. The sudden role reversal made him feel uneasy.

"I had to find this girl, I'm not sure of her name, but I know she's in a lot of trouble. I think she is being held by the Deatheaters." Harry looked at Dumbledore expectantly; he was waiting for the plan of action.

"Lead the way Potter!" He replied with a small knowing smile. Harry stood; confused for a while before he set off at a run in the direction his mind was pulling him to. Dumbledore kept pace with him, his eyes never leaving the back of Harry's head. They ran through the twists and turns of London until Harry felt like he was close. He slowed and motioned Dumbledore to do the same. They both peered around the corner and found the girl lying on the floor, her hair was blonde- slowly fading to dark brown and she sat up and glanced at the death eater on the ground. Dumbledore growled and Harry silently agreed. The girl was covered in her own blood and shaking, she knelt next to the robed body and tried to wake the man. Harry thought wildly of what had happened. Before he could do anything more Dumbledore came from his hiding place and said,

"Ebony Caprice I presume? How nice to finally meet you." He pointed his wand at her and yelled, "STUPIFY!" Harry yelled and ran from the corner,

"What did you do that for?" But a chill swept over Harry as he watched the imposter turn to face him. The silver hair was replaced with sandy hair that flowed with grace, the locks framed a thin face that held blue eyes that where so much darker than Harry's headmaster's. Harry stood back as the gray robes turned to black and a silver mask was placed on her face. Her wand flicked to his chest and she said slowly,

"Don't move." Harry swayed and swallowed painfully...

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter blah blah blah **

**Right! So here we are, right at the beginning of the story. Sorry for all the visions and POV changes xD I needed to sort this chapter out. Sorry it took so long and I hope you enjoy!**

**Any questions? Don't hesitate to ask!**

**Reviews are Welcome!**


	6. Safe?

"Enervate."

Ebony blinked and shut her eyes against the glare; she then slowly cracked them open and adjusted to the change. Her head buzzed slightly and a queasy feeling almost overcame her, she shifted her hands and they grazed the damp pavement. Raising her shaky palm to her face, Ebony rubbed her forehead and jolted when a sharp pain ran through her veins. Everything seemed dull, the noise, the light and the figure that was pacing towards her, another stood as still as a statue just outside the shadows, spherical sections of glass caught the light and blinked at her.

Someone with a strong grip clutched at her shoulder and latched onto her shirt for a better hold.

"I told you not to move, boy!" A flash crossed Ebony's vision and she heard a familiar yelp. She furrowed her brow and tried to remember why she recognised that sound. "First encounter with magic, girl?" the woman behind the mask asked.

"Wha-" Ebony tried to reply, but as she moved her chest to breath, a dull ache caused her to fall silent. She was extremely uncomfortable and tired; not to mention, bleeding and soaking wet. The woman let out a short laugh and lightly held Ebony's hair in her hand.

"Who. Do. You. Think. You. Are?" With each pause, the woman banged Ebony's head against the brick wall that was behind her.

"Leave her alone." Croaked the voice again. The woman muttered under breath and whipped around to face the anonymous figure. She said something that Ebony didn't quite catch, and with a flurry of movement, the other figure was hauled across the alley way and shoved next to Ebony. She sagged a little and leant lightly against the warm figure. Now that the person was closer and her vision began to slowly return; Ebony could see black messy and untamed raven hair that framed a pale and pointed face. Round glasses sat on his nose and outlined his vivid green eyes. They were darting around at such a speed, Ebony began to feel sick.

A flicker of remembrance crossed Ebony's mind and she thought she knew him from somewhere. She couldn't, could she? Finally her eyes rested on a lightning bolt scar that lay on his forehead. Something clicked, and Ebony knew.

"Harry?" She said slowly which caused both him and the masked woman to stare in her direction. Ebony lifted up a hand and ran her finger across his cheek bone. Harry shivered and continued to stare. "You're alive!" Ebony almost smiled. The boy who she had seen tortured and beaten was alive. Somehow he had escaped the snake like man, but then it hit her, the woman was obviously going to hurt Harry, maybe even take him to the snake like man. Harry was being taken somewhere that she was almost destined to go to. Now she blinked, of course she was going to the "Dark Lord" there was no escape, Ebony was too tired to resist anymore and Harry seemed to have lost his defensive stick of energy.

"Interesting." The woman wondered aloud, her voice fading off with running thoughts. "It gets good now." She paused before grabbing at Ebony's chin. Ebony stared into sliver made eyes, _how could she see out that mask anyway_? "I've heard that you're wanted by the Dark Lord, hm?"... She paused and Ebony could almost picture the smile that must have fallen across her face. "Trying to evade him, were we?" She let out a huff and let go of Ebony's face.

Ebony's vision returned fully and she looked up at the tall woman who was pointing her weapon at her chest. She said something that sounded like Latin and ropes flew from the tip of the stick and twisted around her wrists. The woman seemed satisfied and turned on Harry; who struggled feebly. Before she could do the same, a shadow crossed the alley way and a light and taunting voice reached them.

"Careful Cia, we don't want to hand over damaged goods..." His eyes rested on Ebony and he smiled with a glint in his eyes. Ebony looked closer and saw that one was a dark brown, while the other seemed to be almost white in colour, maybe the lightest blue. Ebony shivered but Harry stiffened suddenly. She looked round at Harry and noticed recognition in his forest green eyes. Hope flared in her chest, maybe this boy was coming to save them.

Her hopes were dashed quickly.

The boy walked slowly over to the woman and looked down at the pair. The woman looked angered and flushed, like she was mad that he had used her name so casually.

"Ramore?" Harry asked in a disbelieving tone. The boy glared at him, but it didn't seem as menacing as before.

"Shut up Potter; just be thankful I saved you from some early torture." Harry flinched, but fire could be seen in his eyes. He shut his mouth and clenched his jaw; working the muscles. "I can take it from here Cia-" He paused and smirked as the woman jumped at the use of her name, "Check for transportation, we need the all clear before we can move them." The woman paused as if she was debating whether this was a good idea or not. Then she nodded curtly and turned sharply and stalked down the alley way.

"Should have known you were one of them." Harry muttered in a bitter tone.

"One of what?" Ebony asked again, causing both boys to jump at the sound of her voice. Ebony frowned and waited.

"He's a DeathEater."

"DeathEater?"

"Follower of Voldemort." The blonde boy flinched at the name and Harry looked somewhat triumphant.

"I wouldn't be so quick to judge Potter," He pulled up his sleeve on his left arm and showed Harry a tanned inner arm. Ebony felt confused and looked at Harry, who stared back at the skin,

"I believe, you need-" He paused for the right words "Certain aspects to be known as a DeathEater."

"Then how was it possible you are here?" Harry almost growled back.

"A simple but effective Confundus charm, Potter." Harry looked at Ebony before replying,

"And when does this run out?" There was a yell and the three of them glanced down the alley way,

"Err, I'd say, right about now." He pointed his stick at Ebony and the ropes fell away, he offered her his hand to help her up and pulled her from the ground with ease. Harry looked annoyed and hauled himself up and staggered a little. "Let's move, now!"

They ran in the opposite direction after Harry picked up his own stick and the blonde boy with miss-match eyes pulled Ebony out of the way of flashes of light that didn't look too friendly.

"Where do we go?" Ebony yelled above the noise, she kept slipping and she was getting quite annoyed. Harry, who was in front of her, looked behind him as he ran,

"My Uncle and Aunts house will prove us with some protection."

"Where is it, Potter?" Ramore asked with urgency in his voice,

"We'll have to take the trains again."

"The what?" The blonde boy asked with wide eyes. Ebony stole a glance at the boy who was running beside her. He didn't know about trains? Who didn't?

Harry spotted the entrance to Baker Street and grabbed Ebony's hand and pulled her down the steps at a frightening speed, people dodged out of their way and some people even yelled at their retreating backs. Ebony looked behind her again and couldn't spot the woman with the mask. She pulled on Harry's hand and demanded he stopped,

"We- we can't keep- go- going like this!" She said between breaths, the three of them stopped and panted for a few minutes, and then Harry announced that he was going to get their tickets. Ebony watched him as he joined the queue for the ticket box. Meanwhile the boy with blonde hair looked wildly around him.

"What is this place? It's manic down here!" Ebony sniggered,

"That's London for you." She paused before turning back to the boy. He reached out his hand and said,

"James Ramore, Slytherin." Ebony shook his hand and wondered what he meant.

"Ebony Caprice, and sorry?" James looked confused but before he could reply, Harry came running over.

"Here, take them. Now, if we get split up, make your way to Sutton station, understand?" Ebony nodded but James looked more confused than ever, but before he could voice his questions, they were distracted by a yell from the steps that lead down to the platforms.

"Let's move!" James exclaimed and made his way over to the barriers. Harry had to tell him where to put his ticket before he could move through. Ebony made it past the barriers and followed Harry down to the platforms. The platform was packed with people and the wind was blowing; announcing a train. They chose the last carriage and sat down with sighs. "Who thought being a muggle would be this stressful."

"Muggle?" Ebony asked and she raised a brow

"None magical people." Harry answered with a knowing smile. Ebony glared at the two boys; did they really think she was that naive?

"You've got to be kidding." Ebony said coldly and Harry looked fearful for a few seconds. He nervously rubbed his scar on his forehead that looked like the lightning bolt. Ebony narrowed her eyes and waited for their reply,

"I guess Dumbledore would be the best person to explain this all." James nodded in agreement. Again, curiosity flickered in Ebony's mind.

"Dumble-What?" Harry laughed and James had a smirk on his face.

"He's our headmaster- you know, from our school." Ebony nodded slowly, unsure if they were being truthful.

"And what school would that be?" The boys looked at each other before replying at the same time,

"Hogwarts." They looked proud and they both smiled like the word brought back sweet memories. Ebony had to hold back a snigger and the two boys lost their proud looks. "Don't knock it!" Harry cut James off before he got too vocal, already there were a few people staring at them with wide eyes.

"As I said, Dumbledore will explain it." Ebony asked them some more questions but they refused to answer her, so the rest of the journey was silent. Ebony stared out of the train window and only saw the dark tunnel, the underground was the first part of their journey, after this they had to cross over to the right platform and take an over ground train, and then it was all up to Harry to lead them the right way. Ebony had never been in that direction, the furthest she had been was Finchley Road, when she had run away from the orphanage to get some time by herself. Of course, she had only been young and after a few hours of wondering around the strange town, Ebony had boarded the train back.

The train came to an abrupt halt and James almost fell over, as he had stood up before the train had come to a full stop. Both Harry and Ebony laughed at him as his eyes grew wide. They both knew what it felt like, but of course they were used to trains. The passengers began to leave the train and Ebony stepped onto the open platform, it was late now, the darkness had overwhelmed them all and the temperature had gone down severely.

They had to wait now. The three of them sat on the hard bench in complete silence. The whole day had been tiring and it took all of Ebony's will power not to fall asleep on Harry's shoulder. The images of her capture flashed across her vision and she flinched involuntarily. It had all been so absurd; Ebony couldn't wait to meet this Dumbledore so she could find out some answers. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a gasp of pain that came from Harry, she was about to ask him whether or not he was alright, but before she could even open her mouth, pain hit her again and reminded her of her meeting with the snake like man. She winced, but managed to keep in her groan. She couldn't let Harry or James know of the connection she had with that vile man. Ebony started to panic when she felt something drip from her left eye. She lifted up her hand and found the pattern engraved in her cheek once more. Suddenly afraid of been seen, Ebony stood abruptly and moved away from the bench, holding a hand to her face so that nobody saw what lay beneath. Her vision flickered for a few seconds and she heard a cold voice whisper in her ear

_You'll never be free of me Ebony_

"Leave me alone!" Ebony yelled aloud and all of a sudden the voice and the pain ceased. Ebony felt the mark disappear under her hand and she looked around; afraid of what she might have to explain.

Luckily, the boys hadn't been paying attention. Harry had his head in his hands and was moaning softly about something that Ebony couldn't hear. James looked somewhat triumphant about something but he hid it as soon as he noticed Ebony looking at him.

Ebony walked over to Harry and knelt down next to him, "Are you alright Harry?" She waited for a few seconds and then Harry lifted his head; he was pale and his scar looked angry and red.

"Voldemort." James jumped at the name but Ebony ignored him.

"Who is that?" But somewhere deep inside, Ebony knew that the snake like man was Voldemort.

"He's the man who killed my parents, the man that is hunting me. He's the man you saw in the graveyard Ebony." As he said the last part of his sentence, Harry looked into Ebony's eyes and she nodded slowly in agreement. They both remembered the vision that they had been trapped in.

"I guess there was no need to give you an ice bath, eh Harry?" Ebony smiled and wondered if Harry remembered her hug attempt. He laughed and the warmth reached his green eyes.

"Yeah, next time we're in a vision, maybe we should keep our distances." Ebony sobered up, she hoped silently that they were never in a vision together ever again. Now that Voldemort knew her secrets, Ebony knew that he would tell Harry without a moment's notice and Ebony would lose the first friendship she had made in a long time.

James had been watching them closely for a while but they all fell silent once more. The train director announced the arrival of the train. It would be along in a few minutes.

Harry stood and stretched his arms out and walked to the side of the platform. Ebony joined him but glanced back to see that James had completely disappeared.

"Harry..." Ebony said slowly as she scanned the rest of the station, while lightly pulling on Harry's sleeve, "He's gone..." Harry whipped around and pulled out his stick and held it up.

"James!" He called out in a whisper, Harry had moved himself in front of Ebony and she felt a rush of pride attack her.

"There's no need for that Harry!" She said as she scowled at the back of his head.

"I don't see your wand anywhere." He replied in an absent tone. Ebony looked at him and frowned,

"My what?" But before Harry could reply their train arrived, just as three clocked figures appeared In front of them. Harry and Ebony gasped and words about wands were forgotten. Ebony was the first to recover and she pulled Harry backwards into the deserted train. Thank the gods nobody was on the train that night. Maybe they could escape easier this time. The doors began to close and the train glided from the station, but there was a quiet that hung over the carriage, like the calm before the storm. Harry and Ebony stood back to back, waiting for something to happen.

Then, loud cracks announced the arrival of the Deatheaters. Harry forced her to duck so that the red light missed her head. She silently thanked Harry and then began to crawl across the floor to the door on the other side of the carriage that lead to the next compartment. Yells filled her head and Ebony could only concentrate on keeping a grip on Harrys hand and steadily making her way towards the escape route. Thankfully the Deatheaters were not too familiar with trains and when the next station came up the train lurched and knocked them to floor. Harry seized the moment and pushed Ebony through the door that lead to the next compartment.

They ran on through to the next carriage and only stumbled a few times on left over papers and bottles. Ebony could still hear the Deatheaters, but they were not as fast or agile as the two teenagers. Ebony smiled to herself, they had –for now- outwitted three adults with violent intent. Ebony was just craving for knowledge. She made herself a promise, that she would survive this just to learn the answers to her questions that were rapidly filling her mind.

Harry had stopped suddenly and Ebony almost ran into his back,

"What?" She exclaimed. They couldn't slow for long; otherwise the men would catch up.

"We can't keep running like this, soon we'll run out of train and we still have a few more stops before we reach Sutton.

"Then what can we do?" Ebony looked about her, there weren't any good hiding places and she could start to hear footsteps. Harry looked back and then his face lit up,

"Idiot...Why didn't you think of that earlier?" he then pulled out a long and beautiful piece of material from the back of his jeans, he muttered to himself again, "Didn't even know I had it on me." He smiled warmly and then motioned for Ebony to come closer. She looked at him weirdly and Harry's smile faltered for a second, "Err, of course. How to explain..." Harry looked frustrated for a second and then he looked at Ebony, "This is a device that will hide us from sight." He paused, "Do you understand? They won't be able to see us, but they can still hear us, so we must be quiet." Ebony was about the reply but Harry looked behind them and before Ebony could protest he wrapped his arm around her waist and draped the cloak over them. Harry then made her kneel over and they hid in the furthest corner of that compartment. They had just become still when the men dressed in black, burst through the door.

Ebony was sure that the men would walk straight over to them and pull them from their hiding place, but they did not such thing,

"Where did they go?" Asked one in a rough tone, Ebony smiled at Harry under the cloak, they both held their breath.

"How am I supposed to know?" Another replied as he brushed down his robes "It's hard enough staying up right on these things, let alone, chase two teenagers who obviously know how to work these damn things!" The third Deatheater had remained silent, and this worried Ebony, he was looking carefully around as if he was trying to spot something strange, he finally spoke up, his voice held a little more authority and Ebony shivered. Harry gripped onto her hand tightly and they both waited.

"Remember, Potter has an invisibility cloak." He paused before muttering, "Accio!" Harry had panicked and he gripped the cloak but nothing happened. They both glanced at each other and acknowledged the close call. The Deatheater growled, "Spread out, they must be here somewhere."

Ebony looked at Harry fearfully, they had to move at some point, Ebony stole a glance out the window and then looked at the train map, they were exactly one station away from Sutton, and this was where Harry said they would be safe. Ebony moved into a more comfortable position but she could stay still for long, as Harry tugged gently on her arm and motioned for them to stand slowly.

Ebony had to crouch a little so that the cloak did not slip from around them. They knew that they had to time this right, as soon as they opened that door, the Deatheaters would know.

They backed up slowly and Harry reached out for the silver door handle, but Ebony put a hand on his and motioned to his "Wand" and whispered as quietly as possible,

"Defend us while I open the door." Ebony had to admit that she didn't like the fact that she couldn't defend herself in this situation. Ebony had always been a tough child and due to the amount of fights she had been in, she had no problem defending herself when things became physical, but with this strange energy that the men and Harry held, Ebony couldn't compete. In a small way, she felt jealous, she wanted to learn about this powerful energy, she wanted to control and do the things that Harry could. Maybe one day she would, if they made it out of this alive.

Ebony brought herself back to the present and noticed Harry nodding at her in agreement. The both braced themselves and then. Ebony opened the door.

The effect was almost immediate, the wind from outside brushed the cloak around and exposed half of Ebony's leg and one of the Deatheaters yelled triumphantly, they shot something but it missed and rebounded back against the chairs but then came right for Ebony again. It hit her and Ebony wondered if it had been fully powered, would it have knocked her out cold. Instead it made her leg go numb. "Harry- My leg!" He looked down and saw the problem. He nodded and threw her arm over his shoulder and took some weight off her failing leg.

"Come on Ebony, we're at the station, we only need to make it to Privet Drive, okay? Hold on." The train lurched again and the Deatheaters fell to the floor once again. The two teens used this time to scramble from the train and onto the platform, where they made their way over to the barrier. Harry fumbled with the tickets and Ebony looked around to see that the doors of the train had closed, shutting the men inside. They did not look happy.

Harry and Ebony limped from the station and Harry lead the way down a very posh looking road. "Just around the corner, then we're safe!"

A huge explosion from behind them almost knocked them off their feet. Harry glanced over his shoulder and then quickened his pace, "They're gaining on us." Harry muttered to himself more than anyone else. They reached the end of the road and turned into a small close of houses. Shouts made Ebony jump as she heard them get closer and closer. Harry was desperately trying to run with Ebony, but they were still too slow. One of the lights hit Harry and he fell to the ground with a groan. Ebony's head collided with the road and black spots danced in front of her eyes. Ebony tried to help Harry up but he wasn't responding and her useless leg was dragging her back. Ebony could only sit there and watch as the three men approached her, twirling their wands and laughing,

"Gotcha!"...

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't owned Harry Potter... And so on...**

**SO! Chapter 6! Sorry It took so long and my apologies for the cliff hanger xD **

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter!**

**Reviews are always welcome!**


	7. A Warm Welcome

Ebony scrambled backwards on the ground only to bash into somebody's legs. Frightened, Ebony looked upwards and saw the up-side-down face of an old man with a white beard. The world tilted and she gasped aloud, momentarily forgetting about the cloaked figures that had halted.

"You! But-you-bu- you were her?" Finally spitting out her sentence. Ebony felt a blush rise in her face but she kept her mind alert, this man had attacked her once before and she feared that he would again. The man simply smiled at her and winked with blue eyes. He then looked up at the Deatheaters and watched their movements. Ebony refocused her gaze a noticed that the men could not move forward anymore, in fact they were already turning into black smoke that lingered on the atmosphere like ink. Ebony smirked and gripped onto Harry's arm hoping he was alright. Ebony reminded herself to thank him later. The last remains of the Deatheaters left the quiet and dark road, but Ebony could not help but hold her breath, trickery was something she expected from those men, but she couldn't help feeling safe with the older man by her side. Ebony decided to stand but as soon as she rose her leg gave out and she tumbled to the ground again, thankfully she fell onto the lawn and her landing was soft. The old man chuckled before taking out his "wand", Ebony froze, "I swear, if you do anything with that bloody branch...I've had enough of that tonight." Ebony had paused and decided to end her sentence with a more civil tone, but she kept her glare trained on the man, who looked steadily back at her and seemed to take in her appearance, something in the man's eyes understood and before Ebony could figure out what he was thinking, the man pulled on his poker face and opened his mouth.

"I assure you child, I do not intend to harm you. Now, if you could, I would like to wake Mr. Potter." Ebony looked around and found that she was instinctively crouching over Harry in a protective way. She muttered darkly to herself before sitting back to watch what the man would do. "Enervate!"

Harry groaned and turned himself over, his eyes looked a little glazed over as he took in his surroundings, and he spotted Ebony and smiled before his face drained of colour. Harry jumped up and drew out his "wand" and started pointing it in random directions while trying to remain standing. Of course he was disorientated, so therefore Ebony expected that he wouldn't last long on his feet.

"Harry-" Ebony tried to catch his attention, but to no avail

"Where are they? Those Bastur-..." Harry had spotted the old man and his wand dropped to his side. Inside, Ebony felt a little better; maybe if Harry trusted him it was okay. "Oh. Hi Professor...Didn't see you there..." The old man looked over his half moon spectacles and observed him with a sparkle in his eye. Was that amusement Ebony could see?

"Clearly."

* * *

Harry felt embarrassment overrun him; he glanced down at Ebony who was still lying on the ground. Now he could take the time to really study her. Harry wasn't sure if he could completely trust her yet, and because of the past few hours, he hadn't really had the time to really think about his actions. Harry was confused, he had known where she was, but how had the Deatheaters? More importantly, how had they found him so easily? Was it pure luck that he ran into a Deatheater disguised as Dumbledore? Probably not, the trap had Harry plastered all over it. Harry looked back at Dumbledore, who was watching him in amusement. Harry still gripped his wand before a flow of questions filled his mind.

"How-"

"-Did I know?" Dumbledore finished for him. Harry nodded curtly. "Mrs. Figg was quite annoyed when she found out that you had evaded her so easily, I could almost feel her discomfort at having to call me." He paused and gave Harry a stern look that made him feel annoyed. "It does not do you well when you wonder Harry; you of all people know how trouble can find oneself." Harry couldn't help but glare, Dumbledore was right, wherever Harry went, trouble always found him,

"I noticed, Sir." He replied bluntly and Dumbledore smiled sadly as if expecting Harry's attitude, he carried on, none the less.

"I know this summer has been hard on you Harry, but you must not let his death influence the way you think and act." Anger flared inside of him. How could he bring this up now? In front of the girl and all...

"I am perfectly capable of acting on my own accords...Sir" He added as an afterthought, he might be angry at the man but he would not become an ungrateful lowlife. Dumbledore seemed to watch Harry for a while and Harry would not meet his eyes.

"Unfortunately I must be the bearer of bad news Harry," He waited as if he wanted Harry to acknowledge his words. "I cannot allow you to spend your usual time with the Weasley's for your protection only remains strong here." Harry lifted an eye brow, he knew that his mother's protection only worked if he remained inside the barriers and Harry hadn't really given it a second thought, but maybe, as the years were going by, the protection was growing weaker. Then, Harry looked towards where the Deatheaters had been, the barrier only left this road, but before it had covered a mile around his uncle's house. Sudden realisation hit him, it would only be a few short years before the protection would break and anybody would be able to break in.

Dumbledore had been watching him closely the whole time, like he was assessing his reactions.

"So be it, Sir." Harry finally answered, almost forgetting what the headmaster had asked him. Dumbledore nodded and accepted his answer,

"Come, you need to do some explaining." And he motioned towards the girl who sat looking coldly back at his headmaster. Harry chuckled and Dumbledore watched him; warily.

"Finite incantatem." Harry said in a low voice while pointing his wand at Ebony. He then watched her reaction, which was apparently quite calm. For her age, she was taking all of this far too well. Harry narrowed his eyes and told himself subconsciously to investigate later on. He offered her a hand but she smirked and got to her feet unaided. Harry smiled inwardly; he would have done exactly the same thing. Harry turned and lead both Ebony and his headmaster to the front door where he knocked and waited for the explosion he knew would come. There was a yell from behind the door that sounded like Uncle Vernon cursing. The door was yanked open and Vernon looked at Harry while steadily growing more and more purple in the neck. His moustache twitched when he noticed Dumbledore and then his small pig eyes widened when they rested on Ebony.

"Ruddy hell boy! What are you doing back here? We thought we'd lost you for good." Harry sighed and was about to reply when Ebony cut across him,

"Can't lose what you never had, Sir." She had a charming smile on her face but Harry had to restrain himself from laughing, did his Uncle know he's been insulted?

"Quite right!" He gave her a look that could have been associated with praise.

Apparently not...

"Mr. Dursley, I'm sure you remember who I am from my last visit." He tapped Harry's shoulder and he moved aside so that Dumbledore could cross the threshold. Vernon had to step back to avoid collision, he looked angered but then something flickered behind his eyes. _He probably remembered who he was_, Harry thought lightly as he smiled and followed Dumbledore in. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Ebony was following. She inside and turning to shut the door, her hand _–with long spidery fingers_- was out, to push the door too, but something happened that made Harry jump, there was a strain in the air and a sharp whooshing noise filled the hall way. Ebony had shut the door without even touching it. Ebony was staring at her hand like it didn't belong to her anymore. Her hair had fallen across her profile so Harry couldn't see her expression. Ebony made a small dismissive noise and turned back to Harry. Harry could turn away in time so he locked eyes with the girl in front of him. Her dark eyes widened before she pulled a scowl on to mask her surprise. Harry could have sworn he saw a flash of red on those eyes.

"Just go in would you?" She said in an irritated voice. Harry nodded and turned to the living room. He wasn't mad with her at all; in fact he was more afraid. This girl was becoming more and more powerful. Wandless magic was something Harry had experienced, but only when he had been in life threatening situations. Ebony's use was for normal everyday things. Harry wondered what she would be like with a wand. Harry even wondered if he would ever get on with the girl.

Once in the living room Harry slumped down on the couch and waited for Ebony to do the same. She remained standing,

"Miss, I would prefer you sat for our discussion." Ebony only folded her arms and looked back at Dumbledore. He sighed a little and motioned with his wand, the couch Harry was sitting on, slid out from the wall and knocked Ebony into her seat, Harry was startled and almost laughed before he noticed that she was holding Dumbledore's wand. Ebony hadn't even noticed what she had done and looked accusingly back at Harry's headmaster,

"That was quite rude, Sir." She said, but there was no politeness in her voice, she was shaking slightly as if she was trying to control her anger.

"And you yourself have also been quite rude. Could you be so kind to hand me back my wand." Dumbledore leant forward with an open hand and Harry saw that it was blacken like it had been severely burnt. Ebony had hid her surprise well, Harry could not see why she wouldn't be surprised as he watched her look down at her hand and then slowly hand over Dumbledore's wand.

"You should take care of that, Sir." Ebony said quietly as she observed his hand. Harry watched her carefully, something didn't look quite right. Ebony looked as if her mind was elsewhere. Harry felt a little pity for her, she must be so confused. She was far from anything familiar, with two people she had never met, one of which had attacked her. Harry also admired her courage, Harry couldn't think of what he would have done.

"Thank you Miss?"

"Caprice." Ebony said a little too quickly. Dumbledore nodded and then moved his robes a little before continuing,

"Your date of birth Miss Caprice?" He waited for her reply,

"I'm sorry?" Ebony said, she looked nervous and she wrung her hands together.

"You heard me correctly Miss Caprice." Dumbledore said bluntly and Harry flinched, he had never acted like this towards Harry, or anyone in that matter. Harry watched Ebony as she replied after remaining silent; as if an inner conflict was taking place in her very skull.

"The first of August, Sir."

"And the year?" Dumbledore managed with a little more patients,

"19- 1980, Sir." Harry frowned, how could she stumble over the date of her birth, but then Harry remembered, she had come from an orphanage. Harry felt a little guilty over his harsh thoughts. She was just like him really, an orphan, being brought into the magical world. Albeit a little more brutally. Suddenly Harry saw that her birthday fell one day after his. He smiled at little, knowing that for once he was older than one of his friends. Is that what Ebony was? A friend?

It seemed that way.

Dumbledore looked like he had lost something. Throughout her whole meeting he had seemed on the edge of something, but now it looked like he had built up his hopes for nothing.

"And the names of your parents?" Ebony stiffened slightly and Harry could see how tense she was,

"-Err, Sir, I don't mean to interrupt but Ebony is from-" Ebony glare at him and Harry left his sentence unfinished,

"I can say it for myself Harry." She said in a cold voice that made the room feel like it was made of ice. Harry shivered and reminded himself that he was only talking to Ebony, not... "I am from an orphanage, Sir, and therefore I cannot divulge this information as I do not know of it myself." She seemed very formal and grown up even though Harry could have sworn she was younger than him and by much more than a day. Dumbledore looked at her with sad eyes,

"Something you have in common with Harry here, alas it is not a happy topic." Harry felt rather annoyed that her problems had been used to relate them to each other; Harry felt that he could easily make friends with her without the fact that they both didn't have parents. Not all of his friends had to be as unfortunate as him to get to know him. Harry held back his anger and avoided looking at the pair of them, who had fallen silent. Dumbledore sensed the change in the air and abruptly moved on to his next question,

"How do you feel about the term, magically enhanced?" Ebony's head snapped up and her eyes lingered on his wand for a little while.

"I can no longer say I don't believe, Sir." She said with a trace of sarcasm.

"What I must find out is how you were undetected when you turned eleven, for this is when your invitation to Hogwarts should have arrived. I am sure I wouldn't have ignored your magical signature, which I must say, is very strong. I would say you are as powerful as Mr. Potter, and this is without magical training." Ebony had not let her gaze wonder this time and she immediately replied with curiosity in her voice. _Her voice...Surely he would recognise it...?_

"Training?" Harry had marvelled at how she had brushed aside how powerful she was, even Harry felt a spike of jealousy when Dumbledore had said she was just as powerful as him, and Harry was a special case, although he never liked to think of it that way,

_And he shall have power the Dark Lord knows not..._

"Yes, Miss Caprice, now that we know you have a magical signature, you must come to Hogwarts and finish your education." Ebony looked relieved that she had some answers

"Funny, Harry had a hard time trying to explain this." She looked over at Harry and smiled as if to say, _I'm going to jump you later._ Dumbledore chuckled as Harry returned the grin.

"Well the overview is simple Ebony, there are two worlds on this planet, the one you know as your life now, or also referred to as the muggle world. And then there is our world, a world where things are done quite differently and magic is within everybody. This leads us to the finest school in England, where all the young wizards and witches are brought up and educated. I trust that you would like to join?" Ebony nodded slowly, and then looked at the headmasters wand again,

"May I ask, what is your role in the world, Sir?"

"I am the headmaster at Hogwarts School for witchcraft and wizardry." Harry couldn't help but notice that Dumbledore had straightened in his seat a little.

"And these...Err branches you call wands?" Ebony paused and looked at Harry who nodded to her, "They are the tools that control the flow of magic?"

"Quite right Miss Caprice."

"And when will I be able to acquire one?" Dumbledore looked over his spectacles at Ebony before answering,

"Harry will accompany you to Diagon Alley, which is situated in London, If you know where to look," and he winked at Harry, who scowled at the floor, "This is where you will withdraw your money and buy your books and robes and of course your wand." He paused again with a glance at Harry, "If you do not wish me to come, I can arrange some Aurors to protect you while you purchase your items, unfortunately Harry won't be able to go with the normal people. Although-" He looked eyes with Harry "- you could meet the Weasley's and Miss Granger once there." Harry nodded and deep down, he could feel a flare of happiness. He was going to see Ron and Hermione again! He wondered if Ebony would get along with them, maybe it would be nice for Hermione to have a girl in the group, even out the numbers a bit, three was a tricky number.

Harry had to backtrack, was he really talking as if Ebony was already a close friend that he would hang around with all the time? He was good friends with Ginny, Neville and Luna, but he never really spent as much time with them as with Ron and Hermione. Harry was being stupid, she might not even be in the same house, and she would probably be in Slyth-

Harry's thoughts were cut off when Ebony spoke again,

"So, headmaster, with no disrespect, you are letting me come to your school- free of charge, and you're just accepting that I'm a- a err – a witch? Don't I need to prove myself a little more before you let me see all of your secrets?" Dumbledore stood as if to make his approval final,

"There is no need Miss Caprice, I already know a witch when I see one. For now you will have to stay with Harry until September first and then you will join everyone on the train for another year."

"But Sir? I can't just join like that? There are years, I'll be very behind, and how will I explain my absence from the other years, there must be very few people who join at the end of their school life?" Dumbledore smiled again,

"Your story, as you put it, is that you have transferred from another school? Let's say from America, that's is fa-"

"No, anywhere but America, I can't put on a silly accent for a few months. Can't I say that I was homeschooled and then I came here?" Dumbledore looked at her for a few moments, his eyes wondering over her face,

"Yes, that seems adequate, and you have three weeks left of the holidays, use Harry to catch up as much as you can, but I can help of course, with this." Harry then recognised the movement as Dumbledore lifted his wand to drag a memory out of his head. Ebony watched in wonder and excitement, her face looked beautiful in the glowing light of the memory. Harry had to force away the jealousy again. She was going to receive an education through Dumbledore's memories; she would be extremely intelligent if all went well. "Now, take these each week until the beginning of term. If you take it all in at once, I'm sure your head might just explode." He chuckled and then looked at them as if he expected them to laugh too, he sobered up and added, "These are memories of mine and Harry's education, and they will bring you up to speed until the last few weeks of fifth year..." Harry knew why he hadn't gone on; those last few weeks would have been full of memories of a depressed and useless Harry. Harry also wondered if he had left it out to see how capable Ebony was.

The memories had been placed into three separate phials and Ebony took them eagerly,

"I drink these, sir?" He nodded and she looked slightly repulsed

"Yes, they won't be too pleasant, but it will help you in the long run," Dumbledore turned to Harry and tried to bring him out of his hateful shell,

"I expect to hear good things about you from Ebony-" he added in a whisper so that the distracted Ebony couldn't hear, "She needs you Harry."

The headmaster turned to leave when he found his path blocked by a white looking Petunia and purple looking Vernon,

"And I suspect you want us to take in another ruddy orphan?" Ebony glared at Harry's Uncle and Vernon almost looked afraid, but Dudley wasn't as bold, for he ran up the stairs, holding onto his bottom the entire time.

"I am sorry it is on short notice," Although he didn't look sorry at all, "Miss Caprice will have to stay here for the remainder of the holidays, under the same conditions as Harry." Harry could have sworn he looked directly at Petunia, who was nodding slowly and examining Ebony's hair with distaste, looking like she wanted to grab a brush and rid the long flowing dark hair of leaves and twigs. "Good day to you both, I'm only an owl away." Harry gazed at where Dumbledore had left and he waited for the crack to signal his disappearance.

Harry and Ebony were left standing in the hallway with a rather irritated Uncle and a nervous Aunty. Harry wasn't sure how his Aunty would act like towards a girl, Harry could see that Petunia would have loved a girl to fawn over and dress up, but Harry almost laughed aloud at the thought of Ebony wearing a pretty pink dress with a big red bow. Ebony had noticed Harry in his situation and made a clear and deliberate step on his foot that chased the laughter away quickly.

Vernon had finally accepted the fact that Ebony would be staying but he looked around for her stuff, ready to order Harry into carrying it up into his room. Harry wondered where she would stay at night, maybe he should offer her his bed and he could stay on the couch, but his reasoning's where disrupted when Vernon finally spoke,

"Right! I don't care who she is," Pointing at Ebony rudely who looked at his fat finger with distaste "You're both going without dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow! Don't you dare leave that room either boy! She can sleep on the floor of that ruddy room of yours." And with that, Harry's Uncle turned and walked into the kitchen as if he was waiting for a meal, already forgetting that it was past elven at night and it was past dinner time. This fact aside, Petunia followed her husband into the kitchen and then slammed the door after glaring at Harry for not moving yet. Harry turned to Ebony, who was smiling in amusement,

"Welcome-" Harry made a dramatic bow with his hands displayed outwards, "To my humble abode." His voice lased with sarcasm, Harry expected her to scowl or give him a dirty look, but instead she let out a musical laugh and then chased Harry up the stairs.

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**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter because I am STILL in school...**

**So, next chapter, sorry it's not very exciting but I thought I needed to calm things down a bit, I know this is quite a recent update, but I really enjoyed writing this part of the story and I wouldnt put it far for my to update soon again!**

**As always, ask me anything and reviews are always welcome!**


	8. Set of Swings

Ebony swung back and forth a little on the squeaking swing that was covered in rust and rain. They had walked to the park; the pair both ignoring Dumbledore's request, but they weren't fooled, Ebony knew that Aurors had been following them since they had left the house, she knew about Aurors now, from Dumbledore's recent memory potion. It was weird, knowing about this world in such detail in a very short amount of time, in a way it was all overwhelming, but Ebony couldn't complain, from Harry's memory; Hogwarts seemed like the best place in the world and seeing it from Dumbledore's point of view made her crave for knowledge and want to leave for the train station now. The busy halls of Hogwarts rushed through her mind every night and she dreamed about new spells and potions that she had to talk to Harry about in the morning. They had both had to share the same room, but Harry had demanded that she had taken the bed and he used Dudley's huge tee-shirts as covered and pillows as his Aunty hadn't provided anything else. Ebony had been annoyed at how kind Harry had been, she felt bad about robbing him of comfort so she made him compromise. Instead of every night, they swapped and this made Ebony feel a little better about herself. Ebony defiantly didn't feel welcome in Harry's home, the first few days had been the worst; they were given no food and a small amount of water. Ebony hadn't been able to stand without the room spinning wildly. Harry seemed better than her, like he was used to the treatment and therefore his body was able to cope easier. He had demanded to be let out when Ebony had almost passed out, she'd lost some weight and the lack of sunlight caused her to look like a walking corpse. When they had finally been set free Harry had dragged her downstairs and to the garden while he grabbed some fruit and water, ignoring Dudley's taunts about how thin they both were and how Ebony had tottered around like a drunk. Ebony had been impressed, she was sure that if it was her, she would have punched him right in the gut, but that would have meant less food and more room time. Over those days, Ebony had gotten to know Harry. She liked him; he was easy going and funny and was always trying to see the light in people. Although at times he seemed angry and frustrated which caused Ebony to become snappy and vicious, that was the only thing she didn't like about Harry, he made her act bad sometimes and every time she said or did something that was harsh or uncalled for she heard those voices

_You will never be free of me Ebony..._

Ebony wouldn't say she was a bad person, but she knew she had to keep the darker side of her locked away tight; otherwise she would never forgive herself.

Ebony looked up at the sky from her swing and she saw out of the corner of her eye; Harry glance up too. They had both been quiet for a long time, enjoying each other's company

"What's the spell that unlocked things?" Harry said un-expectantly, Ebony smiled, another quick fire round about magic

"Alohomora, next question?" Harry grinned at her before thinking for a while,

"Name a spell that acts the same as Alohomora?" Ebony grinned again; she remembered this from her latest memory, where Hermione had used it in the ministry for magic last year, down in the department of mysteries,

"Colloportus, come on Harry! Something more difficult?" Harry frowned slightly before laughing again as Ebony rolled her eyes.

"Okay, okay! What is diffindo used for?" Harry had hardly finished his question when the answer leapt into her mind,

"Used to cut or rip objects, I remember because you used it on those brains that attacked Ron." Harry had looked down for a moment, and Ebony realised that she had brought back bad memories. "Harry," she said a softly as she could, "I only know bits of your past, I know partly what you have been through, it would do you some good to talk to someone who can understand, yeah?" Harry had been nodding as she spoke but he still wouldn't meet her eye, instead he had looked down at his hands and picked at his nails. Ebony grabbed at his hand and lifted it up to her face "Disgusting habit you know Harry?" She smiled and tried to draw him out, he smiled weakly before taking a deep breath,

"I don't know why, but I feel like I can completely confide in you Ebony, I don't know whether it's to do with your past but I somehow feel like I can relate to you." Ebony smiled a little, they were both orphans, of course they could relate to each other, but not completely, they were not entirely in the same boat; Harry was from a good family, a line of purity, while Ebony was from a dark family, of which were all related to the man that hunted her. Harry could be proud of his parents, Ebony almost envied her parents at escaping this impossible life of "kill or be killed", of course nothing was that drastic, just yet. Harry had shrugged his shoulders, and swallowed before he turned on his swing and looked at Ebony properly. He locked eyes and began,

"Voldemort killed my parents on the 31st of October 1980, he discovered their hiding place when one of their closest friends leaked their location to him. He killed my father first and then told my mother to stand aside," Harry paused a little and turned pale, but he looked hardened, "She wouldn't move, she told him to take her rather than me, she was killed and Voldemort moved forward to kill me. I found out last year why; I was the child of the prophecy and it had stated that I would one day defeat him because of some unknown power. My death would have secured his future, but something went wrong and the killing curse rebounded off me and destroyed him, leaving me with this," He moved his hand to his scar and rubbed it, "You know, you're the only person I've met who has not asked where I got it from, thanks." Ebony nodded and focused her gaze on his green eyes, she knew he didn't like it when people stared at his forehead, and she couldn't blame him. Why see the person with the scar, when you could meet the person behind the glasses?

"I'm sorry about your parents Harry; they were very brave, you should be so proud." Harry looked at her and smiled gratefully,

"I am." Harry tilted his head before he continued. "I was taken here and for elven years I thought my parents had died in a car crash and I was the lone survivor. I thought I was a normal scrawny kid with grotty glasses that had to endure my relatives for a very long time. It all changed when I met Hagrid. I was taken to Hogwarts and for a while I felt like it fitted in, although a lot of people stared, I felt at home and I made the greatest friends a person could make, but everything couldn't stay perfect. I had to face Voldemort near the end of my first year, he had been at Hogwarts the whole time, hiding on the back of my defence against the darks arts teacher's head, he was weak, but alive, he wanted a stone to replenish his life force, but those who want the stone, but not to use it, will find it, and that happened to be me. I was lucky; Voldemort escaped that night when his host crumbled into dust after trying to kill me. If it wasn't for that, I would be dead. I was lucky, pure luck." Ebony looked at Harry in wonder, he was humble, his actions had obviously been heroic and brave but he had put it all down to luck, as if he didn't want any praise from what he had done,

"You really showed him, eh Harry?" He laughed and swung back on the swing for a while, "Your second year?" Harry stopped moving and looked at her again,

"Things were weird in my second year, I kept hearing voices and people were petrified, and I was always found with them, like it was I who did it. That year, I was known as the heir of Slytherin. Things took a turn for the worse when a message was written in blood, it said that a girl had been taken into the chamber of secrets; a home for a monster that was attacking the students. Ron and I discovered that Ginny had been taken, Ron was going mental with worry, and so we paid a ghost a visit, and asked her about the chamber and about how she died. She managed to help use discover the entrance which had been the bathroom sinks of the girls bathroom, nobody had found it because moaning Myrtle had haunted that bathroom for years, ever since she had died," Harry paused while Ebony laughed about moaning Myrtle, his eyes even lit up for a second, "We went into the chamber only to be separated by a wall of rocks that had come crashing down. I told Ron to work on moving them while I went on. I was scared, but we had to find Ginny. Ginny was close to death when I finally found her, she was holding onto a book that belonged to a Tom Riddle – I didn't know that was Voldemort then- I then came face to face with his sixteen year old self who told me that he was slowly coming back because of Ginny. He then set the monster on me, but I was aided again, Fawkes the Phoenix blinded the beast so that it couldn't see and Dumbledore sent me the sorting hat that gave me a sword so I could fight it off. I managed to stab it but unfortunately I was priced with a fang and I slowly started to feel its poison kill me. Fawkes was brilliant, he cured me and I was then able to stab Riddle's diary and therefore destroy the memory. Ginny awoke and we returned to the surface.

"And Ginny was alright? Why was she down there anyways?"

"She was sort of possessed by Tom Riddle, and therefore he needed her energy to come back fully, which would have killed her, but because Tom disappeared after the diary was stabbed, she came back almost perfect." Ebony nodded in wonder. She liked the way Harry was opening up to her, although she felt like he was skipping over some details, but that didn't bother her, she was getting to know the real Harry Potter.

"I'm guessing that your third year wasn't any better?" Harry snorted and grinned at her,

"Third year was mayhem! Over the summer a man called Sirius Black-" Harry paused for a second and seemed to gather his thoughts before he continued in a strained voice, "a convicted murderer, escaped a prison called Azkaban which is guarded by disgusting creatures called Dementor's, everyone thought that it was impossible to get away from that place, but he did it," Harry almost sounded proud and Ebony became even more entranced by his story. "It was all over the newspapers, but because I was trapped here again" He looked around and Ebony sniggered, "I missed out on the news and I was only told about him when I met with the Weasley's. I was even more surprised when Mr. Weasley drew me aside to tell me why he thought Sirius had escaped. According to him, Sirius was a faithful servant of Voldemort and he had escaped to come after me," Ebony's insides went cold. _Did he ever get a break? _"Mr. Weasley also told me not to go looking for him, and of course I was confused. Why would I go after somebody who wanted to hurt and kill me?" Ebony looked at Harry in the eye, he didn't seem angered by the memory,

"But he didn't escape to kill you, did he Harry?" He looked off in the distance for a while and paused, he smiled to himself before looking back at Ebony,

"Correct again, I found out later that year, that Sirius Black was my father's best friend and also my Godfather. I found out that he had betrayed them to Voldemort and that he was the reason they were dead. I must admit, I hate myself for being so angry now that I look back at it. How could I have judged him so easily?" Harry slumped his shoulders a little, "I was so mad at him, and towards the end of the year I finally came face to face with him. He attacked in the form of a black dog, but he didn't go for me, but instead he dragged Ron away and down into the roots of the Whomping Willow," Ebony chuckled at the name, she had learnt about this tree in her first batch of memory

_The Whomping Willow is the newest addition to the school grounds, I suggest that you leave it be, for you should never approach something that you might not walk away from. Albus Dumbledore looked down at the students and smiled as he took in the confused faces, the only ones who didn't seem to find this surprising where the students who needed the tree the most. Albus's eyes rested on James Potter and Remus Lupin who sat looking at each other; trying to hold back their laughter. _ _They sat next to a black headed boy, with a handsome face and merry eyes..._

Harry continued; unaware of the images that had flashed through Ebony's head, "Hermione and I followed to discover that the black dog was Sirius himself. We all thought he was going to kill us, but he told us about Peter Pettigrew, who had been a close friend, until he betrayed them to Voldemort. I was confused, because I had been told that this man was dead, but in fact he too was disguised as an animal. Wormtail was a rat, or rather, Ron's rat Scabbers. To end that night I found a new man who could act like my family, I had a chance at a new home, but it was all destroyed when Wormtail escaped and Sirius had to flee for his life." Harry looked positively mutant, his fists were clenched and a red anger rose into his face. He shook a little and Ebony had to place a hand on his shoulder. He jumped and laughed slightly, "You have the coldest hands!" Ebony laughed too and she reached for his neck to make him jump again, "Ebony...Don't! They're like ice! Ebony wai- augh!" Ebony fell about laughing as Harry jumped again and toppled off his swing, taking Ebony with him.

They sat, with their backs on the ground and their legs trapped in the chains of the swings. They laughed until it died down to sniggers, finally they stopped; breathing heavily and holding their sides. Ebony's hair had fallen over her face and she blew air to make it lift from her face, she couldn't keep it up for long and she was blinded by hair again. Harry snorted and moved the hair out of her eyes before attempting to sit back on the swing. He grabbed for the chains and hauled himself onto the seat without grace; in fact he resembled a new born foul, who hadn't found its feet yet. Ebony decided to lift her feet off the swing and stand up. Harry glared at her in false loathing.

"Know –it- all." He pouted and Ebony guffawed,

"Hardly, I just watched you fail, if I'd tried it your way, neither of us would have learnt anything." She shot him a cheesy grin and he lightly punched her shoulder before becoming quiet again. Ebony felt slightly worried, she didn't want to push Harry for more answers and she felt him come to a close on his tale; for now. "I think it's about time you stopped chattering Harry, you'll make my ears bleed." Harry faked a sob but came up laughing, his green eyes gleamed and Ebony felt better that she had saved him from further discussion, she knew what year was next and they both knew they didn't want to visit that nightmare. Ebony also had a bad feeling about his most recent year, the gaps Dumbledore had talked about made her wonder what had happened. Maybe Harry would open up to her when he felt ready, she certainly didn't want to pry.

"Okay," Harry sighed as he rubbed his hands together "My turn..." He looked at Ebony as if he was searching for the most interesting question possible. Ebony interrupted him before he could think further,

"I think it's only fair that you know how my parents died, seeing as I already know about your situation." Harry signalled to go on with a nod of his head, "The only thing I ever knew about my parents was that my father's body was found next to me. We were both located in a park by a police man who had happened to be strolling through the park, looking for any disturbances. I assumed my mother had died also, but I never found out if my dad had a proper send off, or if I'd been there, I was only little, and because I had no immediate family, I was sent to the orphanage with only my name and this necklace to hold onto," Ebony took out the silver chain with the wolf at the end, Harry studied it before smirking,

"I'm surprised nobody took this from you." Ebony though about it, she had been quite lucky actually, she held onto the charm a little tighter before looking back at Harry.

"What else would you like to know?" Harry narrowed his eyes,

"What was it like? I mean, growing up there?" Ebony sighed as she thought about all the kids that had came and went, the kids that had go into the schools and found families. Ebony also remembered with a cold feeling of the kids that were left to die at the hands of the fire.

"It was like an average orphanage really, the people were difficult and moody and the food was awful, the halls were freezing but the rooms were spacious, but then again I did have the best room," "Why's that?" Harry asked with a mischievous grin, "Because I had been there the longest. Not that it bothered me, no, not at all. Of course I wanted a real family, but I also wanted the sense of normality, the fact that I had lived there for all of my life was a part of me, I thought it would be strange if I had left, not that I ever got the chance. I grew up a little too fast and the young ones were always the most popular."

"Did you meet anyone there, did you make any friends?" Harry asked in all honesty but hearing what he said, he looked horrified, but before he could sputter an apology, Ebony talked again.

"I did make one friend, although he was a lot older than me at the time. I was about seven and this rebellious looking teen came into Stockwell." Harry jumped and Ebony frowned at him before going on, "He must have been about seventeen or eighteen, but he was the nicest person there. He understood my mood swings and why I yelled at the other children. He used to sit with me at night when I couldn't sleep because of my head aches." _I'd forgotten about that, _Ebony thought lightly. "He used to teach me all sorts of things, like little games or tricks, but my favourite was this,"

Ebony turned on the swing a little and smiled at Harry, "Hold out your hands like this," Ebony pushed out her arms and held up her palms. Harry hesitated before copying her movement. "Now, cross over your arms and turn your hands to face each other," Harry laughed as he tried to do what Ebony had done so many times. "Then, hold your hands together, like you'd hold another person's hand." Harry looked completely confused and Ebony chuckled under her breath, "Here comes the difficult bit, are you sure you can do this Harry?"

"Har har, come on, show me."

"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you." She moved her arms and looked at Harry who just stared, "You have to bend your arms and twist your hands towards you while bringing them under your arms, and they should look like this." She offered her movement to him as he tried to do the same. "Your final position should be like this; elbows tucked in and right arm over left, you should feel a little awkward." Harry nodded and Ebony snorted at the way he held himself.

"Now what?" Harry asked, his voice full of concentration, Ebony moved out of her position and moved closer to Harry,

"Now, I'm going to point at one of your fingers and I want you to move it as soon as possible." Harry grimaced as if he wondered what she was going on about. She looked for the best option before pointing at his right index finger. Harry glared at his hand when he couldn't respond straight away. Ebony remembered when Anthony had explained the game to her. The crazy hand movements were supposed to confused the person's mind and this therefore meant that when a finger was chosen, they didn't know what hand it belonged to. Harry's finger started to move feebly until he realised where it was attached,

"Aha! Got it, god that's hard to do." Harry exclaimed. Ebony proceeded to point at all of his fingers until Harry could properly respond to her pick. It took them a good ten minutes before Harry could move his fingers at once.

"Anthony always knew that would cheer me up, I guess it was the challenge that took my mind off things." Harry smiled lightly, Ebony looked in his eyes and she could see that he understood.

"When did he leave, the orphanage?" Ebony started to feel the horrible sense of grief build up inside her,

"He never left. Anthony was killed in a mugging a few weeks after my tenth birthday, the police said that he had been stabbed in the gut several times before the men took his watch and backpack, they didn't get away unscathed though," Ebony curled her fingers and let a laugh escape her. Harry watched her with sad eyes and placed a hand on her shoulder. Ebony let out a sigh before glancing at Harry again. As she leant forward she felt something dig into her hip, she looked down and saw a white wire, protruding from her pocket. She felt her heart warm when she remembered her Ipod. Ebony quickly stood up and startled Harry who watched her strangely. She pulled the thin black Ipod from her pocket and shook it in her hand. _She had it! The most cherished thing she had ever owned apart from pen and paper._ Ebony looked at it for a while before she heard Harry ask her what is was; his voice sounding like it was miles away. Ebony turned it over and read _keep calm and carry on. Anthony_ from the back, it had been the last thing he had ever given to her, complete with all the songs he thought she liked, with some others that Ebony had grew to love as she had grown. Ebony looked up at Harry and grinned,

"This, is an Ipod." She turned it around so Harry could see, she gave it to him to look at but he only stared at it, like it was an alien from outer space.

"What the hell is an Ipod?" Ebony gasped and leapt forward and grabbed Harry's shoulders,

"You. Don't. Know?" Ebony shook his shoulders until Harry laughed.

"Come on Ebony, I've been in a magical school for five years, and before that I was never allowed to see the light of day. It's not that shocking." Ebony let go of his and plopped back down on the seat, and took a hold of the headphones, she picked the right side for her and put it in her ear and offered Harry the other one and showed him where to put it. She laughed when he hesitated. He could face Deatheaters in a dark alley way but he was afraid to put an ear piece in.

"You haven't heard anything until you've heard Pink Floyd or The Fray, and not forgetting, Snow Patrol." Harry's eye brows rose and Ebony ignored him as she unlocked the device and went to her playlist. "Now shut up and listen." Harry made to object but she placed a hand over his mouth. He snorted indignantly but stopped when he heard the start of the first song. The guitar started to play and Ebony closed her eyes and swayed to the music and mouthed the first words

_So, so you think you can tell. Heaven from Hell, blue skies from pain, can you tell a green field from a cold steal rail, a smile from a veil..._

"I like this..." Harry said in a thoughtful tone, he bobbed his head to the music and flashed Ebony a sneaky grin. Ebony stared to feel the music properly and Harry motioned for her to turn it up. She did. Ebony looked out of the park as the chorus went by, she felt the wind on her face and she thought of Anthony, she didn't even know his last name. She'd known him for years but not once had he told her. Ebony started to feel a little sad

_Do you think you can tell?_ _Did you exchange? _

Ebony whistled along with the sad part of the song and remembered all the good times with Anthony, she would be forever grateful for his company, she'd lost it but now she had found a new friendship in Harry.

_How I wish you were here... We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year_ _Same old fears, wish you were here..._

They were alike and that made it alright to open up to him. Ebony felt the foundations lie down; she knew that Harry would never leave her to the cruel darkness of loneliness. Although, she knew that she would be okay if she ever felt alone, she had dealt with it before and now that Harry was here, she needed to remember that life wasn't always fair, that Harry had another life and other friends. Ebony hoped that she was slot in like nothing had changed, but it would. She was going to a school where everyone was different, where everyone would accept her powers because it was natural. Ebony couldn't help feeling doubt, what if they didn't accept her, what if they ridiculed her and named her ;outcast. Ebony shook herself out of her stupidity, how could she have become so weak. Her eyes rested on Harry who was staring absently across the park, the music making him slowly tap his foot in the dust. Ebony drew herself up and held in all of the strange emotions. She couldn't let herself become like this, she couldn't break, she wouldn't let it happen.

The song changed to O'Children, sung by Nick Cave,

_Pass me that lovely little gun__, __My dear, my darting one__, __The cleaners are coming, one by one__, __You don't even want to let them start_

Ebony lifted her head towards the sky as the rain started to fall,

_We have the answer to all your fears__, __It's short, it's simple, it's crystal dear__, __It's round about, it's somewhere here_

Harry smiled at her, his eyes full of understanding, "Come on, we better be going." He stood and put out his arm as if he wanted her to take it and walk side by side with him. Ebony snorted and pulled on his arm to stand up which made him overbalance. She smirked at his expression and they moved towards the gate,

_Is that such a stretch of the imagination?_

_Lift up your voice..._

_**

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**_**Okay A heads up here, I uploaded this piece and it was set out al wrong and it was like one big block of text, just fixed it but i'm not sure if it's completely perfect. Sorry!**

**The songs are "Wish you were here" By Pink Floyd and "O'Children" By Nick Cave, I highly recomend these songs as they are my muse for now**

**As always...Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter...*sobs***

**ask me anything and reviews are always welcome!**


	9. Nightmares

Harry was pulled roughly from his slumber by an ear piercing scream. Still half asleep; Harry whipped out his wand from under his pillow and leapt from his bed; almost stepping on Ebony who was thrashing around on the floor and tangling herself in the make-shift covers. Harry quickly realised that there was no immediate danger and Ebony's screams were going to wake his relatives. He knelt down next to her and shook her shoulders,

"EBONY! Wake up, it's alright!"

"No- n- NOOOOO! You can't, please! Don- Don't tell him!" She was pale and her hair was matted against her forehead, she looked like she had a fever. "Leave me alone! Don't- I – AUGH!" Ebony sat up so fast that she knocked heads with Harry; who toppled over backwards and landed painfully on the floor next to her. Harry stared at her and felt slightly frightened. _Was this what it was like when he had nightmares? _Harry suddenly found a new respect for Ron. Ebony sat rubbing her forehead while clutching at her cheek. She was breathing quickly like she had just run for miles. Ebony noticed him sitting there. Harry expected her to cry or yell, that dream had looked so violent, but he was surprised when Ebony snorted and then laughed. Harry shook his head a little, _what was going on?_

"Ebony- err you jus- just..." Harry forgot what he was saying; he couldn't really explain it properly, _what had happened?_

"Harry! You have one hard forehead, gosh that's going to leave a mark." She emphasized her point by rubbing her forehead harder while leaning towards him.

"Didn't you even feel anything?" She put her hand down but her other hand stayed on her cheek. She slowly rubbed her face as if to check there was nothing on it. After a while she seemed satisfied and slowly removed a shaky palm.

"Ebony! What is going on? What were you dreaming about?" Ebony's eyes avoided Harry, she busied herself with the tee-shirts before ripping them off completely,

"Damn covers." She muttered to herself and still ignored Harry who was becoming irritated.

"Ebony..." He growled and she finally looked at him, but she didn't seem happy,

"What? I don't know, okay! I don't remember!" She crossed her arms and frowned at Harry. He was used to her quick temper and he smiled to himself, _he was such a hypocrite._

"Okay, are you sure? You were talking about something you wanted to remain a secret?" Harry wasn't too sure about what he was saying; he could only state what he could gather from the words Ebony had yelled in her nightmare. Harry wondered who she had been talking too. What she didn't want to tell, and who was this "He"? Harry looked down at his hands and saw his wand, he had been so close to using magic, he berated himself, for if he had, Voldemort would have been able to get at him through the ministry, which was sure to be infiltrated by Deatheaters. He looked up and saw Ebony gazing at his wand. In a way he felt sorry for her; if Harry had found out about magic like she had, he would have been almost afraid to take on a wand, but Harry could see in her eyes that she wanted to learn as much as she could. She couldn't wait to buy her own wand. Harry wondered about her house. He had told her about each one and she hadn't signalled which one she thought she would be in. Harry wondered if she would be in Ravenclaw, she defiantly seemed intelligent enough, maybe intelligent enough to put Hermione in her place. Harry smiled when he remembered her stressed face under the sorting hat; he had also wondered why she hadn't been sorted into Ravenclaw. Harry couldn't be happier that she was where she had been placed, for Harry knew that they wouldn't have become friends and Harry would have missed out on a loyal friendship that he could always depend on, even if it did make him study more than he wanted to. Harry sat back a little and let out a small sigh, his sixth year was dawning, and Harry hoped it would be less stressful than his last, his O.W.L.s where out of the way and this meant that Harry could choose the subjects he wanted for his career option; an Auror. His exam result had to be on their way soon, he was becoming more edgy each day. There was only a week left before the first of September and Ebony was due to take the last of her memory potion. Harry could tell that she hated it, but in more ways, she loved it. It had apparently tasted foul and given her headaches for hours but the knowledge she would gain from it would completely change her life. Right about now, Ebony knew just about everything Harry knew when he had gone into fourth year. The last dose would bring her up to speed and she would be fit to attend Hogwarts, knowing everything she needed to know for sixth year. Harry's thoughts were disrupted when Ebony spoke

"Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"Tell me about your wand again?" Harry smiled and sighed a little, she had been asking about his wand for days now.

"My wand is made of holly wood and inside lies a Phoenix feather-"

"From Fawkes?"

"Yes. My wand is also the brother of Voldemort's. His wand also holds a Phoenix feather but it is bone white and made of Yew." Harry tapped his fingers against the bedroom floor, drumming with each descriptive feature. He had to make the wands completely different even though they were brothers. Harry hated the fact that he shared something that he had in common with Voldemort. The parseltongue was bad enough. "Each wizard or Witch acquires a new wand when they visit Ollivanders, but we don't really chose it, rather the wand chooses the Wizard"

"Or Witch!" Ebony said with a grin,

"Yes, or Witch. That wand is best suited to you, yes you can use another's wand, but the spells will not be as strong." Ebony watched him with gleaming eyes as if she was twelve years old once again. She sat cross-legged and her arms were wrapped around her. "Are you cold?" Harry blushed in embarrassment, _why hadn't he thought of that before?_ Ebony shrugged a little and removed her arms from around herself as if to prove something.

"I'm fine Potter." She said in a cold voice that shocked Harry, his insides turned to ice and he felt his eyes widen. Ebony then stuck her tongue out and the bitter face disappeared in an instant. Harry breathed a sigh of relief, he really needed to get over his suspicions, and he knew Ebony now and there was definitely nothing to fear. It was just that voice... "What time is it?" Harry jumped a little and glanced down at his watch, it was six AM.

"Just about six. Not really much point trying to sleep now, Petunia will have us up in an hour." Ebony nodded in agreement and Harry marvelled at how well she was taking all of this in. He reminded himself that this was all new to her and his relatives were definitely not the most enjoyable people to live with. He smiled and wondered what it would have been like if Ebony had not been as laid back. Harry got up from the floor and made his way over to his desk, he had decided to write to Ron and Hermione, he hadn't spoken to them since Ebony's arrival and he decided that Ebony should not be a surprise. Harry picked up his quill and wrote Hermione's name, and clicked his tongue in annoyance, his writing was horrible.

_Dear Hermione,_ _It's okay, everything is going well over here at the Dursley's, I was just writing to you to ask if you had heard any news from Dumbledore about me, I'm not too sure if he mentioned it to anyone._

_How is everything? Have you had any letters from Ron? (If he managed to remember) I hope you're having a good summer and I look forward to hearing about your trips. Say hello to your parents for me._ _Thanks for the birthday present again! I know I've already thanked you, but it has come in handy recently..._ _Okay, so here goes._ _About two weeks ago, I helped a girl called Ebony; if you've heard from Dumbledore I'm sure you'll know how I met her. She is currently staying with me and is managing the Dursleys fine. (Dudley even seems scared by her!) She is a witch but somehow her powers have remained dormant until recently, do you have any ideas? Dumbledore refused to elaborate on the subject, (just like him to do that). _

_We are going to Diagon Alley on Wednesday to get her supplies and her wand, which she won't shut up about! I think you'll like her; she is very smart and has accepted her new life very quickly. She's coming to Hogwarts and I was wondering if you could include her when she arrives. Not that I think she'll need it, but seeing as you're a girl, you can understand all of that emotional stuff...No offence!_

_Sorry about the time, we woke up early this morning._

_Hope to see you and Ron soon!_

_Harry_

Harry re-read his letter and then rolled it up and attached it to Hedwig, "Don't go just yet girl, got to write to Ron first." Hedwig nipped his fingers affectionately and looked back at him with amber eyes. Harry got out another piece of parchment and reached for his quill but put his hand down on an empty space. He looked up and spotted it in Ebony's hand who sat on his bed.

"You actually write with these?" She said in an amused tone, she twirled the quill in her hand and brushed the feather with a finger.

"Yes we do _actually_." He grabbed for the quill but missed, Ebony laughed,

"It's alright Harry, I'm not going to break it, I was just curious." She smiled and gave the quill back with a calm expression on her face.

"That'll kill you one day Caprice." He said coolly but she only raised a dark eye brow. Harry turned back to his paper as Ebony listened to her Ipod again.

_Ron,_

_Hey!_

_ How are you? I hope you've had a good holiday so far, and sorry for not writing to you sooner, say thanks to Molly for the lovely birthday cake, still surviving on it now! _

_Has Dumbledore contacted you recently? Just curious. _ _Sorry we couldn't come to your house for the rest of the holidays, Dumbledore's orders, you'll understand if you did get a letter from him._

_We? Yeah, you must be wondering. A couple of weeks back, I ran into a girl called Ebony, (I'll explain it all later) Anyway, she was like a dormant witch or something and didn't get a Hogwarts letter even though she should have (Dumbledore seemed quiet about that?) So now she's saying with me until we go back this year. She'll be alright though, Dumbledore gave her this memory potion of like my years of Hogwarts and what I learnt...Yeah weird stuff, but she's like all up to speed with her studies and will be with us in sixth year. _

_Be nice to her! We've sort of become good friends so we'll probably hang out, depending on what house she'll be in. ( I hope it's not Slytherin!) _

_She also knows about everything, and I mean everything, fourth and fifth year included, so don't tiptoe around her, she won't like that!_

_Hope to see you on Wednesday in Diagon Alley; we'll be in Ollivanders if you can't find us!_

_See you soon mate_

_Harry_

Harry then attached his letter to Hedwig and signalled her to go, "Come back soon!" He called after her as she disappeared in the dwindling darkness. The sun was coming up now and Harry was waiting for the thump on his door to wake him up.

He looked at Ebony who had her eyes closed to the music, he really like that thing, the music she listened to was good and it made Harry feel light hearted or sometimes sad or even angry but in a good way it made him let it all out. Harry imagined Ebony listening to that in the halls of Stockwell. Harry felt confused, he was sure he's heard that name before...somewhere.

Ebony suddenly opened her eyes and gasped, Harry was about to ask if she was alright when his scar prickled uncomfortably. He rubbed at it a tried to stand up but it overwhelmed him and he fell into the darkness.

However, he did not notice Ebony's look of horror as black ink poured from her left eye before she too, fell unconscious...

"_You walk a dangerous line boy." Voldemort's cold voice rang out from the darkness and Harry looked out from red eyes down at a hooded figure, the room was richly decorated and everything had a tint of silver. Black smoke seemed to emanate from the walls and Harry looked out on a circle of Deatheaters. Harry felt himself smile as he smelt the discomfort from each person in that room. Some of them shuffled and looked at their feet while others tried to contain their shakes. But he knew, Voldemort knows when people are afraid. _

"_Yes, my Lord. Sorry my Lord." Harry felt Voldemort's anger flare,_

"_You have yet to take my mark?" Harry tried to make out who was under the hood, whoever it was, it was no Deatheater...Yet_

"_No-no, my Lord, I thought it would be impractical seeing as I have yet to finish my education." The room gasped at the figure. Nobody questioned the dark lord without punishment._

"_Yes, yes, I see your predicament. But how, I must ask, does that keep you from aiding anyone." The figure moved, he almost flinched,_ "_I must gain their trust if I am truly able to aid you my Lord." Voldemort lifted his head a little and observed the hooded person,_ "_A dangerous decision child, not only did you let them escape but you also confounded one of my inner circle. You must learn self restraint before you even hope to join us." The figure nodded but did not answer. "You may stand." Voldemort observed the movement before he hit the figure with a red light that knocked him from his feet. "You two!" He shot another beam at the two cloaked men. They yelped before moving forward. "Take it back from where it was brought. Make sure you are not seen." They nodded and moved forward to lift the body from under its arms. They then dragged it out and the door swung back into place. _

_There was an awful silence before Voldemort spoke again._ "_Kane, your report?" A woman stepped forward but she was masked,_

" _Wreath has been located from her magical signal at the stations. __Priori Incantato reveals that it was a healing spell. Her location now is a private muggle school, just outside London in a place called Rickmansworth, but we couldn't enter the premises, there is a strong shielding charm around the place, one that rivals Hogwarts protective boundaries." _

_There was another silence and Voldemort grew angry once more,_

_"You say you could not enter?"_

_"Yes, my Lord."_

_"The subject at hand is very important Kane; you must find a way into that filthy muggle school. I will have her brought before me." The woman nodded and retreated to her place in the tainted circle. "Lucius, step forward." The blonde Deatheater took a small step from the line and bowed slightly. "You and Bellatrix failed me, I said to bring her to me, yet you let that child escape from you. A child that doesn't even know how to control her magic yet!" Voldemort spat out his sentence and he felt the Deatheater shiver in fright, "I told you not to use magic in front of her, did I not?" _

_"Yes, my Lord."_ _"And did you?"_

_"N- no my Lord." Voldemort bristled_

_"Lies" He hissed "Lies, Lucius." Voldemort pointed his wand at the man and watched as he refrained from running. "Crucio" He said in a whisper and he watched as the blonde man fell to the floor in agony. Voldemort smiled at the torture. The screams grew until he lifted his wand after two minutes of the pain. The man shook as he stood in front of his Lord, he bowed again._

_"I apologise my Lord."_

_"You take this too lightly Malfoy, I expected you to bring her. Don't fail again. She and Potter will visit Diagon Alley on Wednesday, my link has told me. I want you posted there. Bring her unharmed."_

_"Ye- yes my Lord, as you wish" He stuttered. Voldemort then dismissed his followers. _ _He stood and walked around the room; pacing. He then stopped in front of a mirror and looked back into his own eyes. _

_"Yes Potter, I know you are there. Oh if you knew Potter, if you only knew why I wanted Caprice. I could tell you, I could reveal to yo-"_

___Harry woke up shaking; he looked up and saw through his crooked glasses that Ebony was shaking him. There was a banging going on and Harry found out why,_

_"__Boy! Stop making such a noise, get up and make the breakfast and bring the girl down, she can help you; pay us back for having her stay here." Harry sighed,_

_"__Come on Harry, let's burn his bacon." Ebony grinned evilly at him and he smirked and took her hand and stood upright. He liked that Ebony never made a fuss over his visions. He guessed it was because she knew what it was like. He slowly lost the contents of the vision, forgetting what he had seen and what Voldemort had said. Harry noticed that Ebony was shaking a little but she had opened the door and gone downstairs before he could mention anything. _

___Harry finished with the dished and turned around and almost walked into his Aunty, _ _"__Err, all cleaned up." Harry said slowly, he wondered what she wanted. _

__ _"__We need some bread, I forgot to get it with the weekly shop, go down to the store and bring some back."_

_"__Please?" Harry offered in a bored tone. He needed to get out for a while, maybe this would give him some time to relax a little, even if it was a chore. Petunia only scowled and handed him a ten pound note before she stormed out of the kitchen and up the stairs. _

___Harry waited for Ebony to come down before he left. She flew down the stairs and jumped the last three, looking fresh and extremely pretty, but Harry could only see those high cheek bones and brown eyes... Harry even looked for the red for second before he smiled and told her about the bread. _

__ _"__Freedom? Hell yes!" Ebony almost yelled and threw open the door and rushed outside, Harry laughed and pulled the door shut before following her down the drive. _ Ebony pulled out her Ipod and offered Harry the other ear piece; his stomach did a flip as he grew excited about the calming yet appropriate music. He listened in and almost forgot about the Aurors that followed them down the road.

_It's an SOS it's an SOS like a bullet in the head, oh yes oh yes_

The morning was quiet and brisk, the wind wasn't as bad as it had been and the sun had even made an appearance. This summer had been so different from the last, not only had the weather changed, but Harry had too. He'd lost the last of his family, and it was his entire fault. Harry frowned as he thought about his mistakes

_Harry the fault lies with me!_

Harry had to stop himself from growling when he remembered the headmaster's words. How could he make Harry feel better when it was obvious that he had caused all of that pain and all of that loss? He ached to hear Sirius's voice again, see him smile and wink at him. He even missed his over protective nature. Harry had to push all those thoughts away because Ebony was looking at him with kind eyes. How could she even know about what he was thinking about? Harry hadn't even told her about that yet. He might have told her just about everything else, but that remained with him. Like he felt ashamed about what he had done to cause more death. Harry even wondered if she would understand. Would she hate him for it? Harry couldn't tell her.

"Nice morning isn't it?" Ebony asked casually, she knew he was brooding about something and her quick wit focused them on a different topic. Harry smiled and nodded, listening to the lyrics, the song had changed again

_Let me go and I will run, I will not be silent_

"Sorry, this song is a bit depressing." Ebony lifted the device up and pressed the screen and the noise stopped for a second before more music started

_Shake it up, shake up the happiness _ _Let our souls run free and she can open up some happiness with me_

Harry immediately felt a little better and a grin spread across his face, "Don't smile too much Potter, what if the wind changed and I'm stuck looking at that forever?" Harry stuck his tongue out at her before they both fell about laughing; startling a passerby and causing them to laugh harder. They arrived at the shop and looked around for a while before choosing the most expensive bread they could find. The shop keeper kept a close eye on them until Ebony called out to him, "It's alright sir, we're not shoplifting" The man at the counter looked away quickly; annoyed at being caught staring at them. Harry laughed at his expression and then asked,

"How did you even know? We're like half way across the store!" Ebony winked at him and replied,

"I felt two eyes burning the back of my head." Harry chuckled

"Maybe we should make our way back?" Ebony groaned before picking something off the shelf and holding it out,

"Alright, but I have to teach you something, and Petunia gave us plenty of money." She shot a grin at him and Harry looked down.

"Gum?" Ebony mocked a gasp

"Not just any gum, spearmint gum!" She said in a sarcastic voice. Harry raised an eye brow at her, "Oh just pay would you!" Ebony snapped in a playful tone.

"Alright, but if I'm going down, so are you!" They paid and left the corner shop and walked back the way they came. Ebony told him to open to packet and take a piece. They walked for a little while before Ebony turned to him and walk backwards so she could talk and walk at the same time.

"I, Ebony Caprice will impart with the knowledge of bubble blowing." She grinned at him and waited for his reply.

"What now?" Harry asked in a silly voice,

"Shh! It's an ancient muggle tradition. Muggles from far and wide would kill for this skill." Harry laughed and waited for her to continue. "First, I want you to flatten the gum against the roof of your mouth." Harry fiddled with the gum in his mouth and Ebony sniggered at him.

"Uh-huh" Harry said in a muffled tone, this was harder than he thought.

"Now, push it against the back of your teeth and push your tongue out, through the gum, like so" Harry looked at her as her tongue emerged; gum covering it.

"That's disgusting" Harry muffled but tried to copy her instructions,

"Finally, blow, but like through your teeth and gently!" She showed him and he almost laughed when a white bubble appeared and popped. Harry did as she said but instead of blowing a perfect bubble, his gum came flying out of his mouth and into one of the bins by the road. Ebony stared at him before she burst out laughing. Harry stared at where the gum had disappeared before he too laughed until they both cried. "Well-" She gasped between laughing "At least you clean up after yourself!" Harry laughed harder and they had to stop walking for a while to gain control.

Harry felt a little happier as they returned home with the bread. Until a hand came down on his shoulder making him jump. Ebony snarled, "Take your hands off him!" But Harry had frozen. _What now? _ Couldn't he relax for a minute without something happening?

"Harry?" A woman asked, "We need to talk."

* * *

**Well well well, Chapter 9 eh?**

**Hope you liked another chatty chapter and the songs were by Train and Take that**

**I hope to update sometime after Christmas, Happy holidays everyone!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter... ETC. **


	10. From her eyes

**Note: This chapter might be a little confusing **

He turned around and came face to face with a single blue eye; set on a gnarled face that was scarred and beaten, it came as quite a shock,

"Gah!" Harry yelped as he jumped back a little,

"Sorry, Professor Moody, you gave me quite a fright.

"I told you not to call me that Potter! I was never your Professor." Harry nodded and then spotted where the woman's voice had come from,

"Harry, you're as white as a sheet! You should see your face, it's hilarious!" Tonks stepped out from behind Mad Eye and giggled. Moody interrupted her laughter,

"Yes, yes it's hilarious. Potter, what are you doing around here? You know the boundaries are weaker now." Harry looked at his feet,

"I know, but I had to come, chores for my Aunty." Harry didn't elaborate, Moody looked at him for a while before grunting,

"Been giving us a hard time Harry," Tonks put in "We've followed you everywhere!" Harry blushed a little and Tonks smirked at him,

"And I can't thank you enough for looking out for us, but I'm not a child anymore." Moody scowled at him,

"You might not need it Potter, but Caprice certainly does." Harry looked behind him and saw Ebony glaring at Mad Eye, "Let's get a good look at you then!" Mad Eye demanded. Ebony moved forward a little and drew herself up. "Hm, long arms, good for defence magic, although it will slow you down. Tall too eh? Well that won't help us hide you very well, and what's all this hair? Very unpractical..." Ebony stood there as Moody assessed her and didn't respond once, Harry had to admire her. Moody faced Harry again. "Off home now Potter," Harry turned and walked away with Ebony who remained quiet, "And constant vigilance!" He called after them; Harry laughed under his breath and hurried home with Ebony in tow.

* * *

Harry sat in his room once more, in the dead of the night; wide awake.

Ebony was staring at the last phial; she had a frown upon her face as she watched the memories swirl underneath the glass. Harry looked outside his window and watched the moon appear from behind the clouds. Ebony finally jerked her arm and downed the potion___, Harry watched her with worried eyes. She began to mutter. _

__ _"Accio_– Summons a desired item, _Aparecium_– Turns normal ink invisible..._Avada Kedavra_... The killing curse. Err"

"Come on Ebony, keep going." Harry said under his breath, she couldn't hear him now; she had just taken her last dose and was in a trance like state.

"_Averte Statura_– Good for dueling, sends opponent flying backwards,_Avis_– Several tiny birds will appear...I think? _Bubble Head Charm_– Underwater breathing charm, Should have used that in the lake Potter... _Colloportus_– Seals a door..._Crucio_– Cruciatus Curse, inflicts horrible pain...No,no I won't, I er- NO."

Ebony growled in frustration and her eyes lost focus, "Got to keep going..._Deletrius_– Disintegrates target, _Densaugeo_– Causes teeth to grow very large...Now that's weird, didn't Malfoy use that on Hermione? Err- _Dilusionment Charm_– Causes anything magical to appear blurry to a muggle, funny word..._Enervate_– Reviving stunned people, know way too much about that one...

"Ebony, maybe you should take a break?" Harry shook her shoulder a little and turned her to face him. Her eyes didn't meet his,

"I'm so close Harry, just a few more minuets..._Engorgio_– Causes immense swelling,_E-evanesco_– Vanishing Spell. _Expecto Patronum_– Fends off dementors, I wonder what mine will be?_Ferula_– Creates a sling for a broken bones, _Fidelius Charm_– Makes a person keep a secret...Unpredictable..._Finitie Incantatem_– Allows no more spells to be cast, _Flagrate_– Creates a fiery "X" for a short time,_Point Me_– Four Point Spell, turns a wand into a compass...Could have used that years ago..._Portus_– Creates a Port Key, _Impediment_– Causes opponent to slow down and at last..._Imperio_– Imperius Curse, allows caster to control someone's mind, apart from you Harry..."

Her eyes finally snapped shut and she sat still for a while, Harry put a hand on her shoulder, it must have been tough this time, there had been so many spells. She took a deep breath before opening her eyes. They shone blue for a moment, reliving the memories before returning to their natural deep brown.

"How are you feeling?" Harry asked warily, she was usually snappy after taking her dose, but today she looked over whelmed with joy, at finally being on the same level as Harry. All she needed was a wand and she would be ready for Hogwarts. Would Hogwarts be ready for her?

"I'm feeling- Whoa..." She lost concentration for a second and her gaze wondered around the room before returning back to Harry, "I think you have mail." A grin overtook her face and Harry glanced over his shoulder and saw Hedwig flying through the night. He stood and walked over to open to window. Once open; Hedwig hopped inside and stuck out her leg. Two letters were attached. _She must have waited for them to reply before flying back. _Harry thought mildly,

"Well done girl, here you go." He reached into a pot on his cluttered desk and gave her an owl treat. She hooted softly before returning to her cage where she put her wing over her face and promptly fell asleep. Harry turned back to Ebony, "You don't mind," He motioned to the letters "do you?" "Go ahead, I'll just stay put for now." Harry grinned at her; _She was always disorientated after her dose_. Harry ripped open the parchment and found Ron's scruffy hand writing, Harry read,

_Hey mate!_

_Yeah, summer's alright, Ginny is driving me nuts (she says hi by the way) and the house seems lonely without Fred and George, (they got a flat above the shop!) I swear they will make the most money out of all of us!_ _Sorry mate, Dumbledore hasn't written, although my parents did get a letter recently, maybe he's explaining it all to them before it's mentioned to me. Hope you're alright though! Sounds like you were attacked again. He's always trying to do you in, eh?_

_Must be tough living with the muggles for the rest of the holiday...Or maybe not. _

_Ebony hmm? It does sound pretty weird to me, never heard of a dormant Witch before, I'll ask Dad. The potion must be bloody brilliant! And she will be completely ready? Whoa! _

_Glad you've had company over the summer mate, and don't worry, she's with us now._ _She must be something if you've told her everything mate! Can't wait to meet her._

_See you on Wednesday, I tried to get Dad to organise some ministry cars to pick you up with us, so that we could travel together, but it seems that the Aurors have got it sorted. _

_See you around Diagon Alley (I'll remember to check Ollivanders) _

_Hang in there mate_

_Ron_

Harry sat back in his chair and sighed a little, he hadn't realised how worried he was that everything was going to be alright between them even though everything was changing. He smiled warmly, his friendship with Ron was something Harry enjoyed; they hardly fought and his lay-a-about personality let Harry relax around him, knowing that someone always had his back. Harry moved to the next letter and saw Hermione's neat handwriting, he snorted a little, _Of course._

_Harry!_

_Glad to hear that you are alright, although your letter did unnerve me a little. No I haven't heard from Dumbledore! _

_Harry, I hope you're okay! You've got to realise who you are! By the sounds of it; walking around streets isn't going to keep you safe!_

_I've had SOME letters from Ronald, and he sounds just fine._ _Yes, I did have a lovely holiday in Greece this year; I learnt all about the Greek gods and goddesses! It's really fascinating! I'll tell you all about it soon!_

_This girl is a surprise Harry, I haven't heard of a dormant Witch, well, until I researched it a little. I found out that it's usually a half blood or pure-blooded Witch or Wizard that is occurs with. It states that a Witch (in her case) that hasn't had any contact with magic within the first few years of their birth (when they should have) the gene for magic will become "Dormant" as such. Was Ebony an orphan? If so, this must be why she didn't get a letter or produce any accidental magic, the gene was dormant! _

_It's all very interesting and I'd like to talk to her more about it! _ _She sounds lovely and don't worry, I'll make her feel welcome (it would be nice to have a girl in the group) _

_I'll see you and Ebony in Diagon Alley on Wednesday, I'll be with Ron, I'm leaving for his house tomorrow._

_Our O.W.L's arrived today, did you get yours? _

_Good luck_

_Stay out of trouble_

_Hermione _

Harry almost fell out of his chair, _O.W.L results? _He stood up and rooted around his desk for a while, maybe Hedwig had come with them, but then he remembered, they would come with a Hogwarts owl. Harry growled in frustration, why hadn't his come today? He turned around and found Ebony staring at him,

"Having a hissy fit are we?" She said in a sweet voice as she tilted her head to the side a little.

"My O.W.L results were supposed to come today." Ebony's eyes widened a little before she clambered up from the floor and held onto his wardrobe for support.

"Wow, okay, are you sure they're due today?" Harry nodded,

"Yeah, Hermione said she got hers today." Harry started to pace a little, he shouldn't get this stressed, and he had been calm minutes before.

"Well maybe yours are on their way, probably just a little late?" Harry made a noise in agreement, he sat down on his bed and ran his fingers through his messy hair, and he took a calming breath before he sat forward a little. "I'm sure you've done just fine Harry." Ebony said softly, he looked at her for a second before smiling,

"Thanks." Ebony stayed quiet for a while before, "Harry?" "Hmm?" Ebony was looking at him with a worried look, "Do you think I'll have to take the O.? It's just that I haven't done any proper papers so I won't be able to get any qualifications because I won't be able to choose a job without any results..." Her sentence slowly ended, she was looking pensive and Harry thought for a few minutes.

"Maybe you should write to Dumbledore?" she groaned,

"I swear he hates me." Harry stifled a chuckle,

"Of course he doesn't hate you; he's just interested in your case. He can be very up front at times; I guess you'll get used to it."

Harry sighed and got up from the bed and stood in front of the window, _maybe they were on their way right now, _he thought to himself.

"Hey, Harry, can I borrow your potions book, I just want to check something?" Harry absently looked around his room with glazed eyes until he finally spotted it; lying next to the door.

"Sure, it's behind you." Harry hardly realised what he was saying, he needed those results, and he needed them now.

* * *

Ebony was lying on her back, looking up at the ceiling, it was dark and Harry had been asleep for hours now. She couldn't tell what time it was, but it felt like she had been awake all night. She didn't want to fall asleep; ever since she had arrived she had avoided dreaming, for they were always haunting. The dreams made her sick to her stomach with worry and guilt. Was it right for her to be living with Harry? She was currently sleeping in the same room as a boy who she should be set against. A boy that was hunted by her last remaining relative, a boy that was alone because of her flesh and blood. Ebony couldn't stand knowing the secrets of her family tree; in fact she had been so worried about covering it up that she had lied to Dumbledore. He'd asked about her date of birth, so she had told him a fake one. Of course she wasn't sixteen, she was only just fifteen and now she was going into a year that wasn't meant for her, but maybe that was alright, at least she would have Harry. Ebony remembered their talk, how she had felt when Harry told her the date of his parent's deaths. The same day as her birth... It was a sign, she wasn't meant to know him, or come into contact with him. She still felt anger well up inside her when Harry's eyes searched her own, like he still didn't trust her, or maybe it was because he was afraid of her?

Ebony rubbed her forehead, she was exhausted, the learning was overwhelming her, but it was truly amazing, how could she even think of complaining when she was getting the chance to change her life forever? Ebony was just waiting for her wand, which was when she would feel completely part of this world, the world Harry was from. She wondered what it would feel like to wield it. Her fingers itched to try the new spells that circled her mind with flashes of red or white or blue.

Ebony wondered if this was what _he_ was like, of course Voldemort must have been power hungry, but Ebony didn't think she was, was she? He must have also been exited about his new life; Ebony wondered what his upbringing had been like, what his parents were like, and if they knew what they had created. Ebony remembered his cold voice and flat snake like face, with those eyes, those eyes which burned in her very skull, she could never forget him, it was like he was constantly whispering to her when all else fell silent. She laughed harshly into the night air, Voldemort and she did have one thing in common; that voice, Ebony could tell why Harry jumped when she used her most cruel tone, he was remembering the night in the graveyard. Every time he looked at her with those frightened eyes her heart sunk, of course he tried to hide it, but Ebony always caught that look, the look that screamed loathing and fear mixed as two. She had to be very careful to keep her cool, she had to carry on as if she had noticed nothing. Harry couldn't find out who she was related to, he might have his fears but he had yet to connect the dots and Ebony had to keep her poker face, otherwise Harry would discover her secret and then Ebony would lose him to hate. How else could he react to her when he found out? No, he mustn't find out, ever.

Ebony's lids became heavy and she slowly drifted off into the steely grasp of sleep.

"_You've evaded me Ebony..." A voice drawled out from the darkness, Ebony blinked and looked around; she was at a deserted train station, everything seemed to be coloured gray and the voice had echoed like it would be the only thing she would hear. Ebony looked down and the train tracks and noticed the rust covering the metal, she looked up and really looked around her; everything was old and rusting. There was paint peeling from the benches and the glass windows were covered in grime. Bricks crumbled and Ebony wondered how this place was still standing."Look at me." The voice spat, and Ebony turned her head to the figure that was slowly approaching her. _

"_Oh no..." Ebony whispered to herself and Voldemort smiled wickedly and lifted his wand and gestured around him._

"_This place is wrong Ebony, can you see it? Can you see how all of it is senseless?" Ebony stared defiantly back at the man, she would not grant him with an answer, "Wordless, I see. I can tell from your mind that you do not fear me Ebony, your thoughts are impractical Ebony, and your hatred will not harm me, unless you use that source." Voldemort walked around her while he talked, his words washed over her mind and she couldn't help but flinch, Voldemort's voice was so much like her own, and they way he talked to her reminded her about how she would retaliate when under influence. Ebony felt the anger build slowly inside, he was merely playing with his prey. "Ebony," He whispered with a cruel edge to his tone, "You mustn't abuse the power you could hold, why listen to those who are afraid to grasp it? Listen to me Ebony, I could teach you so much more." Ebony snapped,_

"_I won't join you." Ebony growled but Voldemort only laughed in response "You'll never turn me." Voldemort's eyes narrowed and he hissed before replying,_

"_It won't be I that delivers you to me, for it only takes one... Slip and they'll all turn against you." Ebony didn't reply, she was scared to admit to what he was implying, "You think that Potter will accept you after he knows? You think that Dumbledore will trust you when he finds the proof? I know what you said to that muggle loving fool, an incorrect date of birth won't sway him." _

" _Don't-" He chuckled and pointed his wand at her_

"_Come on Ebony, where is that flare? You can't hide behind them for long...Death will find them soon enough." _

"_I believe death will find you quicker." Ebony said in a low tone before she could think of anything else, Ebony closed her eyes in exasperation, she couldn't let him get at her,_

"_How wrong you are my dear, for I have beaten death, and even Dumbledore himself hasn't discovered how." Ebony stared at him, surly he couldn't be immortal, she had seen his rebirth, he had died once, he must be able to die again, and he had to. _

"_You can't scare me with words." Ebony was trembling but she made sure her voice was strong, she couldn't falter under his gaze, she wouldn't. _

"_Oh no, not with words, I see that Ebony. I can see what you really fear." And with that another figure walked from the shadows. It was Harry, his shirt was torn and muddy, his glasses were crooked on his face and blood ran down his cheek from a nasty cut just under his eye. Ebony held her breath,_

"_No, you can't" She whispered desperately, she even took a step closer to Voldemort who watched her with a look of triumph displayed on his white face,_

"_Ebony?" Harry croaked and she shivered, "It isn't true, right?" Ebony looked at him and her heart sunk, his voice was so weak, and his eyes never left her own,_

"_Harry-I" _

"_You can't be, I trusted you, and you've kept that from me all this time?" Ebony was close to tears,_

"_Harry, I'm sorry I- I just couldn't, I was ashamed, please, don't go." Harrys face changed and an ugly sneer fell upon his lips, _

"_I should have known, I saw the sign's, they were all there. You're just like him-"_

"_No-" _

"_You manipulated me, like him"_

"_Harry, please-"_

"_You lied, like him"_

"_I didn't mean-"_

"_NO, I've seen enough, get away from me!" Harry turned away from him and faded into the shadows once more. Ebony stood, with her hand reaching out, feeling more empty than she had in her entire lifetime. She fell to her knees and her vision faded. _

_Then she heard Harry's tortured screams, he was lying in the mud surrounded by Deatheaters and at the centre stood Voldemort._ "_You really think that you could ever trust her?" Voldemort sneered as he watched Harry writher under his spell, Harry shivered on the ground and spat out blood, Voldemort lifted his wand and Harry glared at him through the cracked glass,_

"_You leave her out of this." Voldemort smiled and turned to his Deatheaters, _

"_Ah, yes! The infamous Ebony Caprice, Harry, tell me, do you see the truth behind her said innocence?" Harry looked at him and flinched,_

"_What do you mean?" Harry looked interested yet annoyed that his attention had been grabbed so easily._

"_Ebony Caprice is a lie." Voldemort said in a high voice that was so bitterly cold. Ebony panicked_

"_No" Harry didn't say any more, he was waiting for the reply,_

"_Her name is Ebony Gau-"_

"_No- n- NOOOOO! You can't, please! Don- Don't tell him!" Ebony felt hands grasping her shoulders, somebody was shaking her and before she found out what Voldemort said, she was ripped from the vision, the vision that had to be a lie._

"EBONY! Wake up, it's alright!"

She breathed once more

* * *

Harry was writing; scratching away with his feather, Ebony smiled as she listened to her music, she would miss this when the battery finally died. Ebony was a little jealous that Harry had correspondence, but maybe she was more jealous of his friendship with them. Harry had known Hermione and Ron for years, how could she possible compete, he would trust them over her any day, and it was Harrys' trust that she craved the most. Voldemorts' vision still repeated itself in her mind. After she had woken she had to remind herself that he was showing her what he wanted, not what had happened, but Ebony could still see those eyes full of pain and anger, from the betrayal she was still adding to now. Ebony felt a slight drip from her eye and Harry stood up and rubbed his scar, Ebony placed a frantic hand over her cheek and gasped, he yelled and fell forwards and Ebony could only watch in horror as he yelled in anger, before falling sideways onto the bed, she closed her eyes for a moment but Ebony refused to be taken under once more

_His life is mine to take Ebony..._

She growled as the voice filled her head, and she pushed herself upright once more. Harry continued to mutter and he moved within his vision, Ebony tried to move to help him but it seemed like someone was keeping her in place, for front row seats of Harry's agony. Harry began to talk a little louder,

"You failed me-" It didn't sound like Harry at all and Ebony panicked, what if he found out about her? What if Voldemort was turning him against him at this very moment? There was a strain in the air and Ebony fell off the bed and took Harrys shoulders in her hands. She shook him but he would not wake. Ebony was starting to lose it, he couldn't find out now, not ever.

"Harry!" She said in an exasperated tone, she shook him one final time and his eyes fluttered open just as his Uncle collided with the bedroom door,

"Boy! Stop making such a noise, get up and make the breakfast and bring the girl down, she can help you; pay us back for having her stay here." Ebony rolled her eyes, she didn't let Harry remember anything else,

"Come on Harry, let's burn his bacon."

* * *

Ebony sat staring at the potions book, not really focusing on the page, her mind was wondering once more but she had to focus on the task ahead. It had been too many times that the mark had appeared on her face, she had been lucky, but if anybody ever saw... Ebony was looking for something that she could take in order to banish the mark from her being, from what she understood; the mark was acting like a curse, she just hoped it wouldn't be too strong. She couldn't really concentrate with Harry pacing constantly; it was really starting to get on her nerves.

"Harry! Would you stop it! You're going to wear through the floor!" Ebony gave up on the book for now and slammed it down on the floor. Harry completely ignored her, "You're so wrapped up in worry that you haven't even noticed it yet?" Harry stopped and looked at her,

"What are you going on about?" Ebony had spotted a bird approaching the window. She pointed and Harry spun around so fast that he knocked a couple of books from his desk. The bird reached the window sill and Harry unfastened the letter as fast as he could. Ebony smiled to herself and stood up again and felt the world tilt slightly; the affects of the memory potion hadn't worn off just yet. She watched Harry carefully as he looked through his results, he remained quiet until Ebony couldn't stand it any longer,

"well? How did you do?" Harry smiled brightly at her and let out a sigh before giving her the letter. Ebony ignored the rest of the writing and focused on the grades

Charms E

_Astronomy-A _

_Care of Magical_

_ Creatures-E _

_Charms-E _

_Transfiguration-E_

_Potions-E _ _Defence _

_Against the Dark Arts-O_

_Divination-P _

_History of Magic-D_

Ebony looked up at Harry who was still grinning like a maniac, "Well done, Potter." Ebony said with a grin and Harry stuck his tongue out at her. He flopped down on the bed and let out a laugh,

"I didn't fail my O.!" Ebony couldn't help but laugh with him; she lowered herself to the floor after putting his letter back on his desk. They were both silent before Harry sat up and rubbed his hands together, "So," He said in a smug tone "Diagon Alley next then?" Ebony felt excitement flare inside of her and all of her worries were forgotten about,

"Bring it on."

* * *

**OH MY GAWD IT'S 5:20 AM AND i HAVE TO GET UP AT 10:00 AM TOMORROW! **

**Wow, okay, I am very very VERY tired to I'm excused from any mistakes tonight *this morning***

**Sorry, I was hoping to get 10 chapters before Hogwarts but I guess I had too much to write about before then, orginally this was going to have Diagon Alley in, but the chapter would of been way too long to digest properly **

**I hope I explained the dormant Witch thing xD**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter...I think we know how this goes**

**Reviews are always welcome and ask anything**

**(I promise there will be some real action soon, instead of this vision junk xD)**


	11. Diagon Alley

**Chapter 11**

Harry and Ebony sat in the front room, with the news blaring out, Harry's relatives had gone into the kitchen to eat, and they had said that they didn't need anything because they were going out today. Ebony couldn't care less about the lunch, she was now going to Diagon Alley, and all they needed to wait for was the transport. Harry had explained that they would bring large transport cars to take them to London. Ebony had asked if they could stop before Diagon because she really needed some clothes to take to Hogwarts; on Monday. She had used Harry's old shirts and kept her jeans, but now she really needed some new stuff, for all of her original things had been burnt to a crisp in the fire. Harry sat with his trunk in between his legs and Hedwig sat in her cage, watching her with amber eyes. Ebony had decided that she was going to purchase an owl, for she could send letters and subscribe to newsletters; maybe she would still order a muggle paper.

"_Family of five found dead in suspicious conditions, investigations haven't revealed to us the cause of death." _

"That's him you know." Harry said quietly and Ebony watched him carefully. He was staring with glazed eyes at the screen, "Anything that is classed as unexplained is always him."

"Why? I mean, what is he gaining from it?" Harry snorted and looked at her with an eye brow raised

"Why exactly. It's for fear Ebony, he lives off fear, that's how he controls people." Ebony nodded slowly and gazed at the screen, barely taking in the images of the people who had died. The voices were soft in her mind, she couldn't tune them completely out. They remained silent like that for a while until Ebony closed her eyes and leant her head back; she was exhausted from the memory potion and visions. "You alright?" Harry asked and Ebony nodded her head but kept her eyes closed.

"_Ebony Caprice, long time suspect of the Stockwell orphanage fire still hasn't been located. Please, if anybody knows anything that could help, contact your local police station-"_

"WHAT?"

"WHAT?" Harry and Ebony both yelled.

"What's going on in there?" Harry's uncle yelled. "You better not be breaking anything!" Harry and Ebony looked at each other with wild eyes. They heard a chair scrape back in the kitchen and loud footsteps made their way over to the living room.

"We can't let him find out, quick, the remote!" They both looked around for it and spotted it on the other sofa, they both pounced on it and fell on top of each other, Ebony didn't notice; all she wanted was that remote. "Got it!" she gasped and she tossed it to Harry who promptly switched the side over just as his uncle came in. Of course Uncle Vernon was quite surprised at the sight he met. Ebony and Harry in a mess of limbs while both giving him a cheesy smile.

"What's going on here?" he said with narrowed eyes.

"Nothing, Sir." Ebony said in a quick tone, she realised where she was and felt herself blush, looking the other way she got up from the sofa and untangled herself from Harry who also looked just as embarrassed.

"Yeah, it sounded like it..." Vernon said slowly, he then pointed a finger at Harry and spoke in a low voice, "Any more funny business and I'll throw you both out on the street and-" but he couldn't finish because the door bell rang and Harry leapt from the room and opened the door. Voices could be heard and Harry was talking in a serious tone; the Auror's where here. Vernon went purple and Ebony smiled sweetly before backing out of the room, taking Harry's things with her.

"Ready to go Miss?" A dark man asked, he had a voice like honey and his brown eyes were very reassuring.

"Yes thank you, Sir." He nodded and looked around for her things, but Harry interrupted,

"She has nothing Kingsley, Professor Dumbledore gave us clearance to get some muggle clothing before we went to Diagon Alley, did he send the note?" The Auror had a confused look on his face,

"Yes and we purchased the card as asked, we put some muggle currency on it, but we weren't sure of how much; it's all very different."

"How much did you put on it?" Harry asked.

"Oh, about 50,000 English pounds, is that enough?" Ebony and Harry stood shell shocked and stared up at the Auror, Ebony was the first to recover,

"Yes, that's plenty! Thank you." Harry looked around at her, his mouth still open. Ebony took the card and scowled at Harry. "Come on Harry, calm down." She whispered to him and he closed his mouth and shook his head. Ebony picked up his owl cage and Harry dragged out his trunk. The front door closed on an angry looking Vernon Dursley.

"Right, I want you both back here in under an hour, don't draw attention to yourself and don't talk to anyone but the sales people, understand?" Ebony and Harry both nodded. "Now, don't worry, we've got people posted around here so there shouldn't be any problems, just stay in plain sight."

"Thank you, Sir. We won't be long." The Auror nodded and let them pass. Ebony dragged Harry to the nearest department store, power walking the whole time.

"Whoa, Ebony! Slow down, we've got enough time!" Ebony didn't slow her pace but she looked back at him and shot him a grin.

"I just want to get out of here as soon as possible."

"Okay, well, where's the best place?" Harry was looking around with a bemused expression on his face,

"I have no idea! How am I supposed to know?" They were walking through furniture sections and passing people talking to sales advisers. They all knew what they were doing, how Ebony envied them.

"Over there, I see some clothes...?" Ebony looked at where he was pointing and saw stands of tee-shirts and jumpers. Perfect. They reached the stand and Ebony grabbed jumpers in bland tones, lights blues and navy were popular, she also took some jumpers in black and added to the pile with white shirts and dark shirts. The jumpers were a size too big but she didn't mind, roomy clothes were always better. Ebony moved over to the jeans a picked out her size and style; at least these weren't full of holes. Three pairs of those where added to the basket.

"I need a coat..." Ebony thought aloud, she spotted some trench style mac's that looked nice and she picked out a cream colour with black buttons. A few pairs of shoes were picked up and some boats for walking joined the rest. Finally Ebony picked up a gray scarf and flung it in the bag and turned to find Harry. She couldn't see him. "Harry?" She looked around quickly, and felt eyes on the back of her head, she turned and found nothing, but she still had that strange feeling. She jumped when she heard a soft voice.

"I think this would suit you." Ebony turned and found Harry holding an elegant silk dress that wrapped around the waist with long parts of the material. It was a light blue with detailed patterns of flying swallows, the sleeves came down to the elbows and it was very low cut. It was a nice dress.

"Don't be silly, I don't need a dress. Come on, let's go." Ebony walked to the check out point and looked warily around her. The hairs on the back of her neck were still on high alert. She wasn't about to put her guard down.

"Will that be all Miss?" a sweet voice asked and she jumped and focused her gaze, she hadn't paid attention and now she was looking like a fool,

"Yes thank you." And she handed over the card which the woman looked at strangely. The card was placed through the slot and a pin was asked for. Ebony thought back to the car journey,

"_Now, I believe the pin? For this thing is 1-9-4-3 don't forget it."_ Ebony pressed in the numbers and watched as the device deducted the amount from the card.

"Thank you for shopping with us Miss, enjoy your day." Ebony nodded and smiled at her and Harry grabbed the bags before she could reach for them. Ebony scowled at Harry who ignored her and proceeded to leave the shop.

"I can take them!" Ebony hissed and grabbed at the bags. Harry held them behind his back and laughed. Ebony placed her hands on her hips and set her glare. "Potter..." She said in a warning tone. Harry stopped laughing.

"Okay, okay, we'll share. I'll take two and you take two. He fiddled with the handles before handing over two bags. Ebony shot him another glare and he looked away.

They walked to the meeting point; a set of benches and fountains in the middle of a complex. They took a seat. Ebony wondered about the Auror's

"Shouldn't they come by and see us? I know we're early but they said they were keeping an eye on us." Harry looked around and stood up from the bench; he walked a few paces and stood still for a few seconds.

"We're not being watched. We're on our own." Everything seemed to become quiet and it felt like Ebony and Harry were the only ones around for miles. Harry took out his wand and began pacing in front of the bench. Ebony felt useless sitting there so she stood and watched the other direction. They were ready if anything came along. Minuets passed and nothing happened, but there seemed to an edge to the atmosphere, it felt like something was about to happen, but they just didn't know when. It was quite unnerving.

"We need Kingsley." Ebony muttered and Harry nodded in approval. They stood side by side, against the white of the complex, a slight shadow stretching across, steadily overtaking the white. The white glare hit their eyes and it seemed malicious. Ebony could hear a pin drop. The world had come to a standstill. Ebony blinked slowly and took a sweeping gaze of the area, everything seemed fine. So why wasn't it? Ebony was standing so close to Harry their shoulders almost touched. She could hear him breathing and she smiled. All at once, everything changed, the complex was full of bustling shoppers and voices pushed away the suffocating silence. Ebony let out a sigh and laughed; Harry looked at her and rolled his eyes before chuckling too. They waited for another few moments and then Kingsley arrived. He walked with a set purpose and Ebony felt confidence in him. He knew what he was doing.

"Sorry for the delay, there was a disturbance at the Alley entrance." Harry glanced at Ebony and she felt herself frown.

"Disturbance? Sir?" He looked at her for a while,

"No need to worry Miss. Caprice, nothing we cannot handle. Please, follow on." He turned and led them out of the complex and onto the streets; it was about lunch time, so all the workers were free for an hour and this meant that the pavements were packed. Kingsley walked into the crowd and Harry dived after him and grabbed her arm so they weren't separated. Ebony looked behind her and saw a dark cloak, she gasped and blinked, but it was gone. Instead she met eyes with another Auror who gave her a serious stare before nodding. Ebony smiled back and turned around. Kingsley had stopped outside a rundown pub. It was called "The Leaky Cauldron" Harry grinned at her and she followed him through the dark door into the poorly lit pub. The land lord greeted Harry with a wave in which he returned. Everyone's eyes were trained on Harry, of course he was known as the boy who lived, it was to be expected, but Ebony still couldn't take it all in. He was really something here. Ebony smiled to herself and kept to Harry's shadow, glad that nobody had seen her at all.

Kingsley led them out into a small outer yard which was basically a square block of bricks and leftover bottles.

"Glad to see the place is still in good shape." Harry said in a sarcastic tone. Kingsley grunted and Ebony stifled a laugh. The Auror then got out his wand and placed it on a series of bricks. Ebony just stared at him.

"What's he doing?" she asked Harry in a whisper. He looked at her with a smug look in his eyes.

"Wait and see Caprice." Ebony stuck her tongue out at him and turned back to the wall. Nothing happened for a while, but then there was a shuffling sound and Ebony looked closer at the wall. The bricks were moving ever so slightly and dust started to fall. The movement became more exaggerated and finally the first brick moved and popped out of the wall all together. Ebony glanced around to see where it had fallen, but her eyes didn't find the mysterious brick. Another sound made her glance up. What she saw made her dizzy with excitement, she saw a hole through the wall and behind the wall she saw a busy street; full of witches and wizards bustling around the shops. Ebony smiled and looked at Harry; who was also grinning. The rest of the wall began to move and slide out of the way to create a passage in which they could all move through. Ebony looked at the bricks which had stopped moving and walked through the passage after Harry. The door way could have been years old, yet it had only been made moments before. Ebony sighed and took in Diagon Alley. "Finally." She said in a satisfied tone. Harry laughed and thanked Kingsley,

"Come on, we've got a lot to buy."

"And this is?" Ebony asked slowly as she looked up at the store. The shops here were very old fashioned, the windows rattled when the door was opened and there was a bell that rang when you entered. The buildings where made of old dark wood and beams held the roofs up. It fascinated Ebony; that a place so full of magic wasn't as developed as the muggle world. Not that she minded, why would anyone want to see gray office blocks here?

"This, is Flourish and Blotts; a book shop." Ebony smiled and her heart went a little fast, she couldn't wait to buy all of her books; she had already got her uniform and trunk which she had been dragging around with all of her bags in. Ebony looked back at the book shop. She must pick up some background books so that she felt more at ease at what she was getting into.

"Do you have the list?" Harry pulled out a crumpled bit of paper that he a scribbled on, recording all of the books that she needed. There was quite a few. "Oh no..." Ebony whispered to herself, but of course, Harry heard.

"What is it?" Ebony bit her lip, she didn't really like this subject too much, it was awkward and made her feel low and cast aside.

"I don't have any money." Ebony looked at Harry as he thought for a minute.

"I'll pay for it all." Harry stated, he sounded like there was no room for discussion.

"No."

"No?"

"I won't let you pay for this. There must be some other way." Harry snorted and his eye brows rose.

"What way is there? Don't worry, I have it sorted." He turned and left her in the street, Ebony growled and followed him into the store, but she couldn't spot him, he had the list she needed and his own list which had come with his O.W.L results. She was left completely armless; she couldn't do anything to stop him. Ebony was angry.

So, instead she wandered the shop, looking at each spine and every once in a while she picked out a book and flicked through it. So far, she liked the sound of Hogwarts; a history. She picked up books about potions and spells and read about those she hadn't heard of. Ebony came across sixth year books and her thoughts rang with Harry, she was still mad at him. It felt bad that she had to depend on someone else to provide for her. She had been so used to looking after herself that his aid was almost suffocating. Ebony appreciated it, but it still made her head thump with pride. Ebony was so wrapped up in her thoughts she didn't notice that she was walking side-ways into another shopper who carried mountains of books. They collided and books rained down on Ebony, increasing the ache in her head. The girl behind the books rushed to pick them up and she spouted apologies. She had crazy curly brown hair and this feature jogged Ebony's mind.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there; I really must get Ron to help me with all of these. Did I hurt you? I'm so sorry!" Ebony smiled at her babbling, she knew who this was.

"Hermione?" The girl stopped and looked up at her. She then rose to her normal height and looked at her with a bemused expression. The girl took in her features before looking behind her.

"I'm sorry, but have we met?" Ebony laughed and held out her hand,

"I'm Ebony, Ebony Caprice; I think Harry might have mentioned me in his letters?" Hermione stared at her hand, there was something in her eyes, and it looked like approval. She took her hand and shook it enthusiastically.

"Hermione Granger, but I guess you already knew that." She smiled "It's so nice to meet you Ebony! Harry talked about you a lot in his letters, mentioned you were a dormant witch, I must say, that's fascinating. Do you kn-" but her sentence was cut short as a boy with messy red hair picked up a book and tapped Hermione on the head with it.

"You've dropped them again, haven't you?" He walked out from behind Hermione and laughed, before realising Ebony was there. "Oh, err."

"My fault entirely," Ebony said, and the boy with red hair looked pale, his eyes widened and he stuttered a little "should have watched where I was walking." Hermione laughed at his expression and before anyone could say anything else, another voice came from behind them.

"Scaring them off already Caprice?" Harry said in a smug tone as he walked from behind a bookcase.

"I always try my very best, Potter." Ebony replied in a cold tone which the red head completely missed.

"Harry! Mate, there you are! You alright?" They boys talked for a little while and Hermione and Ebony were left watching.

"That's Ron." Hermione started "Sorry, he isn't very good with new people. I doubt he knows you're Ebony." Ebony laughed and looked at the boy named Ron.

"Sorry about the books by the way, I was so into Hogwarts; a history, I forgot I was surrounded by other people." Hermione looked at her with excited eyes,

"You like it too? Oh good, I've been trying to get the boys to read it for years, at least you have the sense to." Hermione giggled, "Are you going to buy it?" Ebony didn't answer for a while, she was struggling to come up with an excuse, and in the end she decided that the truth was the best answer.

"I don't have any money; this is all so new to me. I don't even know if my parents were magical. Harry has offered to pay for my things, but I will only let him get the basic needs, I don't exactly enjoy watching him pay for things that I should." Hermione nodded and glanced at Harry who was pointing at Ebony and explaining to Ron who she was. There was a look of realisation that dawned upon his face which was quickly replaced by embarrassment. Ron turned back to Harry and the girls turned away once more.

"He's such a hypocrite, if it was his case, he wouldn't let anyone pay for anything. Although he didn't really get into that situation. He has a vault here in gringotts, full of money that his parents left him. Are you sure you don't have any inheritance?" Ebony stared at Hermione, Harry hadn't told her about a bank here. Maybe she did have some money, but why wouldn't Harry tell her? Ebony bristled; Harry had kept it from her.

"Excuse me, one moment." And Ebony turned away from a shocked looking Hermione and walked over to Harry, grinding her teeth as she paced. She walked past Harry and grabbed his arm and yanked him around the corner and pushed him back against the books, causing him to yelp in surprise, but before he could protest Ebony growled, "There is a bank here, why didn't you tell me, maybe I have a family vault." Harry didn't look at her properly,

"We don't know if you have a vault." Ebony stood back and sighed; she lifted a hand to her temple and rubbed at the ache that hid beneath the surface. She turned away from Harry and tugged at her hair, she was so mad but so thankful at the same time that it made her breathing difficult. There was a long silence before Harry placed a hand on her shoulder. He turned her around to face him and he moved her hair out of her eyes.

"I'm sorry-"

"Harry, don't-"

"No, I am, I just wanted to give something to you. Something to introduce you into the real world, our world." Ebony nodded but she still didn't look at him. Harry placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face so that her eyes finally rested on his. "Let's go see if you have a vault. If you do, I'll allow you to pay for your wand and anything else." Ebony grinned at him and launched herself at him and gave him a bone crushing hug. Harry stumbled back a little and chuckled in her ear. "Ebony- Air!" She let go of him and looked back for Hermione and Ron, they stood in the corner, politely ignoring what had just happened; Hermione had a small smile on her face.

"Thank you Harry, come on, grab the others and let's go."

"Name?" The creature asked her, Ebony glanced back at Harry and he smirked,

"Ebony Caprice." The creature nodded and looked down at the records. Ebony's heart was in her mouth.

"Ah, yes, we do seem to have a vault here under the name Caprice, muggle money converted into gallons, quite a fortune he had. Although it does state here that all savings belong to the next in line." The man looked over his glasses, "That, being you, miss Caprice." Ebony could have shouted for joy, but she reminded herself to stay in control, she couldn't make a bad impression. She had enough to provide for herself, oh how she would get Harry back.

"Sir, could I ask, what was the name of my last family?" The man looked at her strangely before he glanced at the records once more.

"Hadrian Caprice, I presume; was your father and last in his line." Ebony let that knowledge settle in, she knew the name of her father, the whole idea made him seem more real to her than ever before. The man gave her a gold key and a document of recognition which he talked about, but she hardly listened, the naming of her father had gone a little to heart. The impact of his death had never really affected her, she had grown up without parents, it was natural for her, but this sudden change made her go deep into herself. Ebony seemed to shut off from the rest of the world until Harry placed a hand underneath her elbow.

"Whoa, Ebony, you alright there?" She hadn't realised how week her knees had become and she felt herself sway on her own two feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She whispered in a detached tone and shook her head slightly. She walked on as though nothing had happened and followed the tiny man; now known as a goblin, through the hall and past two thick oak doors. They reached a cart and Hermione pulled at Ron's arm,

"Maybe we should let them be for a while." She whispered in his ear.

"What for? Hermione sighed and Ron's eyes widened.

"Oh right yeah. Oh hey, Ebony?" Ebony smiled and turned around, "Me and Hermione are going to find my parents, they should meet you, and do you mind if we..?" Ebony looked at Hermione who rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, of course Ronald, catch you later?" Ron blushed and Hermione placed a hand over her mouth so that he didn't see her laugh. Ebony turned back to Harry who showed her the cart she had to climb into.

"Hold on tight Miss." The goblin said quickly before the cart jerked and set off at high speed, turning left and right and up and down so many times that Ebony' s eyes spun in her head. She laughed aloud and the wind ripped at her hair and blew it across her face. She couldn't think of anyone finding her vault and she wondered how she was getting there herself. Unfortunately the ride came to a jittering halt and Harry leapt from the cart and placed a hand on the chamber wall for support. Ebony got out unaided by the goblin and smirked at Harry, who was finding it hard distinguishing up from down. The goblin ignored both of them and walked toward a great iron door with a number placed above it, reading "119". Ebony watched as the goblin ran its finger nails through slots in the door before passing him the small golden key. The lock clicked and the door swung open to reveal heaps of gold and silver and bronze. "Your vault, Miss Caprice." Ebony nodded at him before stepping up into the circular room that seemed to be tinted green. There were piles of it, and Ebony didn't know how much it could have all been worth.

"Nice collection Caprice," Harry said from the corner,

"I bet it's not a scratch on your fortune Potter." She replied in a somewhat snappy tone. Harry didn't say anything for a while before,

"Hermione got straight down to business I see." He said in an observational tone and Ebony kept her back to him and smirked to herself.

"She certainly did." Ebony let the silence go on for a little longer before Harry produced a small pouch in which she could take some of her savings. She grabbed a mix of gold, silver and bronze before she turned away from the fortune that almost made her feel a little sick. Ebony didn't know if it was from the cart journey, or from the fact that she had only earned this though the death of her family. It made her feel a little bit guilty. The goblin shut the creaking door and they made their way back to the cart. Harry sighed and Ebony placed her money inside her pocket.

Harry and Ebony stood outside Ollivanders, both looking at the state of the shop. It was worn and blackened and the window frames contained no glass. Harry glanced at Ebony and she made to move forward but Harry held her back and took out his wand. The place had a creepy feel to it, like it was constantly being watched by dark forces. They took wary steps into the place and the sound of the bell echoed around the shops. It seemed like it was empty until there was a sliding sound and a man with wiry white hair and glasses appeared on a moving ladder a few feet above them. The man- Ebony guessed as Ollivander, looked at Harry and smiled.

"Ah, Mister Potter, so nice to see you once more. How is your holly wood and phoenix?" The man spoke as he climbed down the ladder and made his way over to the counter. Harry and Ebony walked toward him,

"Just fine thank you Sir." The man then turned his eyes on her.

"And how might I help you miss?" Ebony smiled at the man and looked around at the hundreds of boxes that lay on the shelves,

"I am here to find a wand Sir." He looked her over before replying

"Ah, but Miss, it is not you who finds your wand, but rather-"

"The wand that finds the witch." Ebony finished for him and he grinned at her and glanced sideways at Harry.

"I like you Miss, now, let's try some wands, shall we?" Ebony nodded eagerly and watched him move off into the back of the store.

"He's brilliant you know." Harry said quietly, Ebony looked at him and nodded, "He can pick out a wand that might pick you with just one look. It will take him a while or a very short time indeed, but he always knows where to start." Ollivander made his way back before Ebony could reply and he placed a dark short wand on the counter that immediately repelled Ebony.

"I guess not." Ollivander muttered to himself and took it back before returning with a pile of boxes, one of which was extremely old and tatty. Ebony went through all of the wands, waving them at random things and producing violent or no responses. Harry sat the whole time, laughing at each response. Finally all that was left was the tatty and dusty box. Ebony sighed and hoped she would find her wand soon. Ollivander took off the lid and gasped a little.

"I'd forgotten about this. This wand was made decades ago Miss, back when I was lucky and young." He took the wand out and Ebony immediately felt something inside her say yes. The wand was beautiful but scarred. It was made from white wood, but a burn mark ran around the base of the wand. The wand was long and at about half way, it wavered before returning straight again. Ollivander's eyes grew wide as he looked at her. "This wand is thirteen inches, made a yew and within the core, contains a Chimaera scale. Very rare and powerful, it will be skilled in defensive and offensive magic. Let's see if it chooses you Miss Caprice. He held out the wand and Ebony reached out and placed a hand around it. It felt like the wand had been made for her, the wood was warm underneath her hand and a breeze lifted her hair and pushed it behind her shoulders. Ebony grinned and Harry stood up and patted her on the back. Ebony looked up at the wand maker and spotted a little sadness in his eyes.

"I'll look after it Sir." He smile at her and pushed the box forward.

"I know you will Miss." Ebony paid for the wand and walked from the shop, Harry just behind her. Everything seemed to be alright for a few beautiful seconds before the air was rent with loud popping noises and five Deatheaters spiralled from the ink like smoke that hung on the atmosphere. There was a few seconds before either could react and then there was spells being fired at them from each side. Harry had taken out his wand and was deflecting them as they came at them both, but now more Deatheaters were appearing, shoving her about in a mass of black clocks. They didn't seem to know who she was, but Ebony's heart was in her mouth as Harry became further and further from her. Ebony now heard distant screams of the Alley and Ebony glanced at the witches and wizards who had scattered and taken their children with them. She was pushed to the ground and her head collided with the stony path. She cursed and pulled herself to her feet. Everything seemed to be moving so fast and she barely heard Harry yell her name. Auror's were now apperating and cutting through the black band of masked Deatheaters. Some had entered the wand store and Ebony saw them drag out Ollivander with a black bag over his head. They Auror's tried to stop them, but the pair holding the wand maker dissolved into the smoke, taking the man with them. The other Deatheaters seemed to swarm towards where Ebony stood; their destination was the street behind her. Ebony stood her ground and took out her new wand. She felt adrenalin run through her veins as she faced the sliver masks. She gripped the warm wand and just before they could reach her, Ebony was pulled out of the main path and into an outer alley, she was shoved against a wall and her wand was knocked from her hand. A hand grasped at her neck and she saw a vision of white blonde. Ebony gulped and looked up at the man.

"We meet again, Gaunt." Lucius Malfoy drawled as he leant over her and placed a strong hand on her shoulder that kept her trapped against the wall. He smirked and Ebony could only hear Harry's distant cries of her deceitful name...

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**I'm sorry for ending it there.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter**

**Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoyed it and if you are wondering about Ebony's wand core, you'll find out more in the next chapter. **

**So, we all know that Ollivander goes missing in HBP, so i wanted to write a bit on what it was like when it happened. Lucky Ebony bought her wand when she did!**

**The next chapter might not be up for a while becuase I am doing exams for a while and this stops me from writing. Sorry for the delay and I hope you enjoyed this chapter**

**P.S. I was wondering what you thought about this being an Ebony/Harry story. I'm not too sure just yet. Let me hear your thoughts!**


	12. Authors' Note!

Note: this isn't a chapter, and if you haven't gathered that yet, get out.

Hey guys! So I was sitting here writing my story and I looked at the title and I thought that it was rather corny; if anyone wants to know why I called it that, it's because of "Long lost living relative" you know the term? Yeah? No, okay.

So I wanted to slip in a small update so that nobody got confused with the title change. The story hasn't changed, just the name.

Let me know If you like it? If you don't...Well there's nothing you can do about it anyways.

I hope this tile captures the story better.

Next chapter will be up soon.

Peace

JadedHowl~


	13. Poison

Chapter 12

_The noise was unbearable, the rush of dark cloak's thundered down the outer alley, they provided a great distraction to those who couldn't see the pair glaring at each other, differing by what they stood for. There was a girl tainted by a void unknown, she wasn't free from secrets of lives, she was the balance, the beauty of the night. She was the set in the words of time. Then there was the silver ice, the dagger in ones heart, the vicious edge to a murders blow, he was the power, the might, the blonde man would never go down in the peril of those darkest nights, in which his master waited with baited breath. A whisper, a word, the sound of death..._

"Yew; and the core?" Ebony glared at Malfoy, he was twirling her wand in his long fingers, and his eyes never looked up, the wand she wanted to desperately grasp.

"Why should I enlighten you?" She spat at the Deatheater; who looked mildly amused. He finally looked up at her and stared with grey eyes. He glanced outside the alley; the others were still running like wild wolves. Ebony could hear the Auror's fight against the black void that kept her from Harry and the others.

"NOTT!" Lucius yelled at the crowd, causing one of the figures to stop in the rampage. He paced over to where they stood and the man removed his mask to reveal a rabbity looking face which held small darting eyes. He grinned when his eyes rested on Ebony's face,

"Nice catch Malfoy," He moved a little closer to the pair and pointed his wand at her, "You want me to finish the brat off?" He let out a small laugh and looked at Lucius for approval,

"No,"

"But, why?" Nott wined like a child, he rolled his eyes and lowered his wand a little.

"Because," Malfoy said in a strained tone, "This is Gaunt." Nott's eyes widened as he looked back at Ebony again. He licked his lips nervously and blinked to make sure he was really seeing her. Ebony just glared at the man.

"Blimey, you can see it. What are we going to do? Our master told us to bring her to him if we found her." Nott then looked at Malfoy's hand and his brow rose. "Is that her wand?" The blonde Deatheater nodded, and he turned back to Ebony,

"Yes, Yew, but the girl wants to core to remain a secret. You know what we do when we want a secret, don't you Nott?" The other man nodded eagerly and came up to the pair. Ebony scowled at them both, she refused to speak again.

"Talkative one, aren't you darling?" The man leered and Ebony flinched in disgust. The pair laughed at her.

"I want you to take a memory of this Nott; you must let the other know of what she looks like." The other man nodded,

"Of course Lucius." Malfoy then brought out a small phial of nasty looking liquid, it was violet and it swirled easily within the glass, and held it close to Ebony's face and she kept a close watch on his hand, to see if it was going to tip slightly.

"Know what this is, Gaunt?" she looked back at his face and thought wildly, of course she didn't know what it was, but she knew it wasn't going to be any good for her. Ebony lifted her upper lip and sneered at Lucius who looked steadily back at her, as if he knew that she was going to respond in that manner. "No? Well, this is a potion that will track you, you and your every movement. Unfortunately this can only be set off with dark magic. Our master wants to know when you will turn." Ebony looked back at the potion; she didn't want anything to do with that liquid.

"I won't turn." She said simply, "You don't scare me." Malfoy chuckled slightly and uncorked the phial. Ebony struggled and tried to reach for her wand but Lucius shot a spell at her that caused her to collide with the wall, she slid down slightly and saw stars. Lucius then knelt down to where she set and grasped her throat to open her mouth. Ebony tried to resist but to avail, she was too tired. The potion slid down her throat and burned like a wound that had been reopened. She coughed and tried to spit it out, but the Deatheater clamped his hand over her mouth until she swallowed.

Ebony felt the mark run from her left eye and Malfoy stood back in surprise, his eyes were wide in confusion. Ebony looked up at him through a curtain of white blonde hair. Lucius moved back further as he spotted the dark red eyes that watched him like a hungry animal. She stood up drew herself up to her tallest height. The girl clenched her fists and her breathing became more and more aggravated. She moved forward towards the frightened Deatheater and held onto his collar and leant in to whisper in his ear.

"Who's laughing now?" The cold words washed over the scene and the girl snatched her wand back from trembling hands. She pointed it at the centre on the man's forehead and chuckled as his eyes crossed to keep the wand in view. Her weapon was beckoning for her to use it, to utter words forbidden, a warm feeling of power began to crawl up her ward arm and a hungry feeling appeared in her throat, she wanted him to hurt, to beg for his pitiful life. She was about to strike when a voice crashed through her possession.

"EBONY!" Harry howled and Ebony glanced at the stream of Deatheaters which was beginning to look like a trickle. Ebony panicked and looked away from Harry, who wasn't in range to her just yet. He couldn't see her like this. Ebony looked back at Lucius who was grinning like a mad man.

"I won't join you." Ebony uttered in a lifeless whisper. The Deatheater began to back into the shadows. He laughed and left her with a last line. Ebony could only do one thing. Ebony ran. She pushed her way through the alley and pelted down cobbled streets, she felt the mark retract from her face but the blonde hair was still across her face, she just needed a little time. Ebony heard a laugh in her head and it shot pain across her eyes, she stumbled a little but pushed on through and passed deserted houses that were catching alight with blazing fires.

The Deatheaters had left their mark above so many houses and Ebony felt her heart wrench when she saw doors blasted open and lifeless bodies left across the entrances. Ebony ran past children with lost eyes and women crying while holding their family in their arms. Ebony couldn't take it all in, there was so much death and destruction around her, and it was all too much. Ebony approached a woman who sat stunned in the dirt; her little girl lay in front of her, covered in blood and cuts. Ebony knelt next to her and placed an arm on the woman's shoulder. She cried silently and Ebony could only watch on in sickly empathy. She could never join anything that caused all this hurt, all the deaths and pain that she had caused because she hadn't turned herself in. Ebony patted the woman on the back and lifted her wand and removed all the cuts and blood from her child. Ebony didn't know how she had done it; she had just put all that she had felt into her magic. The mother looked up at her and thanked her with lifeless eyes, which were wavering in grief.

"She only wanted to play outside." The mother said in a detached tone. Ebony stood and looked down at the scene. It was terrible.

"I am so sorry." The woman nodded in acknowledgement and placed a hand on her daughter, stroking her face and brushing hair away from her eyes.

Ebony moved on and ran into more passages, she still needed some time. Ebony's hair had turned to the colour of her soul, a soul that was tainted by death and destruction. Innocence had been triumphed and Ebony sat there as Lucius's words rang in her skull.

"_You won't have a choice."_

* * *

It was so fast; Harry only had the time to think of his wand. The Deatheaters were shouting to each other and casting spells, one after another. All he could do was block and defend; there wasn't an opening in which he could attack. Harry knew he was going down; attack was the best form of defence. Harry was cut by a nasty jinx on his wrist and he almost dropped his wand. He changed hands and carried on the fight, there were only five, but more and more were appearing and thundering down the streets and attacking people everywhere. Harry needed some help, but he couldn't see Ebony beside him, maybe she was frozen in shock. Harry found it hard to convince himself, if there had been an attack, she would be fighting just as fiercely. Auror's started appearing next to Harry and this gave him a chance to glance around and locate Ebony. He saw her through the black cloaks; she had fallen to the ground.

"EBONY!" Harry cried and he tried to run after her but he felt arms holding him back, he struggled against Lupin's grip and cried her name again. He had lost sight of her and all Harry could see was the darkness of the robes that swarmed after her.

"Harry, we need to move out of here." Lupin urged in his ear and began to drag Harry away from the fray.

"Professor! We have to go after her!" Lupin didn't stop dragging Harry around a corner and his grip did not lessen.

"The Aurors will look after her, I promise." Harry shook his head in denial,

"I have a bad feeling, I can't lose her, I promised I'd always be there." Lupin looked down at Harry with pity in his eyes.

"Harry, we have to keep you safe-" Lupin was cut off when Harry tried to throw him off him.

"We have to keep her safe too!" He yelled at Lupin and struggled to release his arm; he growled and looked up at his old professor with bitterness in his eyes. "Let me go." Harry searched his face and he remembered last year

_Let me out._

_No._

"Potter! Calm yourself down; you won't be any use to her dead." Moody said as he stumped around the corner, closely followed by Tonks, her hair was a deep red and brown eyes looked at Lupin hungrily. "Tonks, go after Caprice, Potter is right, she's too important to lose, you heard Dumbledore." Harry looked up at mad-eye when he heard the headmasters' name.

"Why does Dumbledore need her?" Moody scowled at him, paused and then walked away, leaving Harry un-answered. Harry looked at Lupin and he just shook his head. Harry glared at him. He was fed up with being kept in the dark, everyone knew it was best when he knew the full story; it stopped him from being reckless... "What about Ron and Hermione? They were both here today." Lupin nodded before answering,

"Don't worry, they're all safe, Mr. Weasley is with them now." Harry nodded in relief

"At least they're safe." He muttered mainly to himself but he knew that Lupin had heard him. They both stood there, listening to the battle that was raging on and on, Harry could still see Ebony on the ground, holding her head, his chest hurt and Harry wondered why he was feeling so strange and lost without seeing her face. Lupin was standing in an overprotective stance, keeping Harry away from any stray curses. He could hear the screams as people died, not a couple of meters over from him.

Tonks came flying around the corner and utter one word

"Malfoy."

Harry was about to react when a huge blast knocked the three of them off their feet, the house nearest to them burst into flames and Harry had to roll out of the way to avoid falling bricks. Although the blast had cracked his glasses and he could hardly see, he was thankful, Lupin was distracted and Harry saw this as the perfect chance to go after Ebony. Harry threw his legs underneath him ad stumbled towards the street of fighters, Lupin reached out a hand to try and stop him but Harry was too fast.

He rounded the corner and pushed his way through crowds of Aurors who did not notice who was slipping away. Harry reached the place where he had seen Ebony disappear; he walked carefully in the shadows to avoid the Deatheaters that ran through the burning buildings. There seemed to be a group collecting and Harry recognised Nott from the Ministry. Harry waited to see if they knew anything.

"- yeah, I saw her, and bloody hell, she is defiantly the right one. No mistake there-" Harry frowned, what were they going on about. Nott continued, "You've got to remember her face, Lucius is with her now." Nott lifted a memory from his temple, muttered a spell and blew it forward into the centre of Deatheaters, who watched it with wary eyes. An image of Ebony appeared, she was glaring with her angry dark eyes and Harry smiled to himself, they were going to pay for what they had done.

Lucius Malfoy appeared from an alley and Harry watched the entrance for any sign of Ebony, he could not see her. Harry looked back at Malfoy and saw a trace of annoyance in his grey eyes. Ebony had gotten away.

"Ebony! Where are you?" he yelled as he ran down the outer alley. The Deatheaters just stood there in shock as they watched the teen run down the path. Before they could act further, Aurors poured into the section of street and the cloaked men started apperating as fast as they could.

Lucius slipped an empty phial into his pocket before he too, disappeared from the scene. Harry pelted down the uneven paths of Diagon Alley and passed more houses that seemed void from life, all Harry could hear was his own footsteps, they echoed as he moved further on down the path that Ebony had obviously taken. He came to an opening and halted at the picture before his eyes. Bodies were scattered everywhere and houses were alight, Harry swallowed as his eyes ran over each face, secretly hoping none of them would hold Ebony's shining brown eyes. Someone touched him on the shoulder and Harry looked around to find lifeless eyes. The woman was pale and tear tracks ran down her cheeks. Her mouth twitched and she spoke,

"She went down that way." Harry tried to thank her but the woman went and knelt next to a body of a little girl. His heart sank as he watched the woman hover over her child. Harry's hatred for Voldemort had reached an unbelievable point.

He gritted his teeth and moved away in the direction that the woman had signalled. Harry rounded the corner as he heard a clatter, he narrowed his eyes and fought against the gloom, finally his eyes rested on Ebony. She was lying on the floor and coughing and gasping. Harry ran forward and threw himself on the ground next to her,

"Ebony?" His voice cracked and he put a hand on her shoulder; she was shivering so he took off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders, she tried to shake it off and she moaned. Harry smiled but kept his hands on her shoulders, she was extremely cold. Ebony lifted her wand from the ground and pointed it at her neck, Harry's gut clenched but before he could do anything she had spoken,

"aegrotare." Her neck glowed a warm yellow before she began to cough; Ebony threw his hands off her and tried to move away from him. Harry's eyes widened in panic and he tried to assist her but she kept pushing him away still choking on something. Ebony stood and leaned against the alley wall before doubling in pain and clutching her stomach.

"Ebony!" He stood and jumped next to her as she shook a little; she tried to push him away again,

"What's happening to you?" Harry said in a desperate tone. Ebony shook her head and closed her eyes.

"Harry, stay back-"

"Why?" he ordered and Ebony wretched before throwing up, Harry leapt back to avoid it all but his worry increased. Why was she acting like this? What had Lucius done to her?

"Because I was going to throw up you prat." She muttered as she wiped her mouth and moved back a little before she sat down again. Harry stared at her, he was sick with his own worry.

"What's going on?" Ebony didn't answer; she just put her head in her hands and let out a shaky breath.

"What did he give you?" A voice asked from the entrance of the alley. Harry's head jerked towards the noise and his eyes had to adjust to the glare before he saw Lupin standing next to an annoyed looking Moody and a worried looking Tonks. They moved forward and Tonks knelt next to Ebony and felt her forehead and checked her pulse. Lupin stood next to Harry and gave him a worried glance; he repeated his question and Ebony looked up at him. Harry had to hold back a gasp; she looked ever so tired, there were deep shadows under her eyes and her pale skin made her look ill.

"I don't know, I just wanted to get it out," Lupin nodded and Moody grunted in approval,

"Quick thinking Caprice, with that spell, but we can't tell if it worked. Do you know what the poison looked like?" Harry stared at Moody and back at Ebony,

"She was poisoned?" Harry asked quickly, but both Moody and Ebony ignored him.

"I don't know, I didn't see, it was all so fast, he just grabbed me and forced it down before I had the chance to retaliate, then I tried to get my wand back." Harry growled

"How did he get your wand?" Lupin asked in a interested voice, Ebony glared at the ground before replying,

"He shoved me against the wall and the force knocked it from my hand, stupid really." She muttered and formed a fist with her fingers.

"Constant vigilance." Moody chimed in as he watched the conversation. Tonks helped Ebony up and placed her arm around her shoulder so that Ebony could stand.

"I'm fine, really." But Tonks ignored her and they all moved from the alley and out into the horrific street.

"Here, let me." Harry whispered to Tonks and Harry grabbed Ebony's arm and put it over his shoulder. She was trying her best to support her own weight but her legs gave way every once in a while. They walked back to Ollivanders and found a group of red heads, all talking and looking around with worried eyes. Harry spotted Hermione within the group as she spotted him. She shrieked and ran over to them,

"Oh Harry! You're alright! We heard them, and we had just left you and what if- Oh what if something had happened and we had just left! I'm so sorry Harry." Hermione stopped babbling as she looked at Ebony, her eyes were wide with worry, "Is she okay?" Harry looked down at Ebony and saw closed eyes.

"Tonks! Situation!" The Auror bustled over and pulled out her wand as she moved. Mrs Weasley had spotted Ebony and she also moved over, catching the attention of all of the Weasley's. Harry stood, supporting Ebony as the others watched on.

"She's too tired, leave her to rest, we need to get back to the Burrow for now and then we'll think about moving you two to head quarters for safety." Harry nodded numbly and watched Ebony's face. His scar throbbed slightly as if Voldemort was silently mocking him. Mrs Weasley looked kindly at him and Ron moved forward to pat him on the shoulder.

"She'll be alright mate, she seems tough enough." Harry smiled and looked up at Ron,

"She certainly is." Mr. Weasley then moved forward and asked Harry to hold Ebony tightly so that they could go ahead with aside along apparition. Harry made sure he took her wrist in a tight grasp before he felt himself squeeze as he disappeared from Diagon Alley.

Harry sat at the kitchen table eating dinner with the Weasley's and Hermione who sat to his right, while Ron sat opposite. The twins were laughing with Lupin and Mrs. Weasley watched with a strict look upon her face. Ron was eating all he could and Hermione was watching Harry as he played with his food; he didn't feel hungry, he wouldn't feel right until Ebony woke up. He looked up at the ceiling and saw her under the covers, sleeping fitfully as she had done for two days now. Hermione put her fork down and put a hand on his shoulder; he jumped slightly and looked back at his plate again.

"She'll be alright Harry, she's just resting." Ron stopped eating and looked at Harry,

"Yeah mate, don't worry, she's just getting better again." Harry sighed,

"Yeah, she really looked like she was resting easy." Ron looked down at his plate and Hermione's eyes wavered. Harry knew that Ebony wasn't resting, just like Harry never did when his nightmares came.

"Ebony is strong, she'll pull through, and she had the good sense to get that stuff out of her as soon as possible." Harry growled, he hated Lucius Malfoy for what he had done to her.

"Smart move-" Ron agreed "I wouldn't have known what to do." Harry looked at Ron as he nodded.

"I just think that something is affecting her, she saw all of the destruction and I can't do anything to stop it." Harry dropped his fork as he spoke." Hermione smiled at him,

"You can't shield her from everything; you can't shield anyone from everything." Harry didn't answer; instead he went back to playing with his food.

Later, after dinner, Harry Hermione and Ron sat in the front room. Harry and Ron played chess and Hermione sat curled up on the sofa, reading a large book, her eyes darting across the page. Ron was smiling evilly as he moved his bishop into place. Harry wasn't really paying attention; so he was losing miserably. Harry was staring into the fire and wondering about Dumbledore. He hadn't made an appearance, which was unusual; normally he would have come to check on Harry after such an event. Harry spotted papers from that day next to the fire. The inscriptions read

**_Harry Potter at the centre of another Deatheater attack. Is the-boy-who-lived to blame for all this chaos?_**

Harry scowled at the name underneath the title. Reeta Skeeter was up to her old tricks again.

"Harry?" his thoughts were interrupted as Ron nudged him with his foot. "Your turn." Harry blinked before he shook his head and moved another piece, right into Ron's trap, but he didn't care, as long as Ron was happy. Hermione lowered her book and leant forward

"Harry, I was thinking..." Harry smiled

"Aren't you always?" Hermione stuck out her tongue and reminded him of Ebony. He felt something inside of him flutter a little. _What was that? _

"You say that Ebony was a dormant witch, right?" Harry felt confused,

"Right?"

"Well that would mean she needed to be exposed to magic to bring the magic out of her."

"Yes, I follow..." Harry said slowly,

"Well, that would mean that she would have been confused when you first used magic in front of you?" Harry thought about it for a while, "But you said that she seemed to take it in her stride?"

"Yeah, she didn't even react to it, like..."

"She'd seen it before." Hermione finished. Harry sat back for a little; his thoughts wondered for a little, when had she seen it before? "I think-" Hermione continued carefully, "That those Deatheaters did something to her before you helped her escape. Do you remember anything from those dreams?" Harry thought back to the nightmares. He had told Ron and Hermione a few hours after they had arrived at the burrow, they were all discussing her.

Harry went numb when he remembered the gun shot sound of a girls arms breaking.

"Crucio." Harry spat. Hermione looked at him with wide eyes.

"You don't mean that the girl with the broken arms was Ebony?" she asked as the colour drained from her face. Harry nodded and looked at Ron who was turning a sickly green.

"I didn't recognise her at first, but now that I look back..." Hermione placed hands over her face and she watched Harry with worried eyes.

"That's positively awful!"

* * *

Ebony woke to a throbbing head and a grumbling stomach. How long had she been out? The last thing she had remembered had been Harry; holding her from the ground, stopping her from falling. Ebony blushed at her moment of weakness. She felt embarrassed, she shouldn't need the help, and she was supposed to be strong.

Ebony lifted the red covers off her and looked around the room, it was decorated with posters of teams on broomsticks, there were two other beds in the room and Ebony stood up and walked to the other side and placed an ear against the wood of the door. She couldn't hear anything. Ebony wondered where she was; hopefully Harry would be nearby so she could see if everyone else had been okay. Ebony hoped that Hermione and Ron had gotten through the Deatheater attack better than she had. She tried the door handle and found it unlocked, she then scowled at herself, of course it would be unlocked, she wasn't a prisoner here. The door made no noise as she opened it slowly.

Ebony was then faced with a mangled and misshaped looking stair case, the house was small at the base, but it climbed higher than a normal house would. Ebony smiled, she liked the place already; it has a cosy feeling about it, a family feeling of warmth and laughter. Ebony walked down the first set of stairs and heard bangs emanating from a closed door on the right, after there was laughter, it belong to someone who Ebony had not met, she walked past the door and carried on down the stairs, they began to creak and Ebony cursed. She made it all the way down and into an empty kitchen, Ebony moved around to the left and heard voices coming from what Ebony could only guess as the living room.

The voices were muffled at first but as Ebony came closer she heard Hermione's voice. Harry was talking about something and he was interrupted by Hermione's shriek,

"That's positively awful!" Ebony decided this was a queue and slipped inside.

"What's positively awful?" She asked with a grin on her face. The three of them leapt to their feet in shock.

"Ebony! You're alright! How do you feel?" Hermione asked as she hugged her. Ebony laughed into her messy hair. She wasn't used to all of these hugs.

"I'm just fine Hermione; I was more worried about you." She whispered into her ear.

"Harry has been going crazy over you." She whispered back, but before Ebony could think about it anymore, she had pulled away.

Harry moved over and looked her up and down.

"You're really alright?" He asked in a strained tone. Ebony smiled and nodded,

"Really." Harry grinned and tackled her into a hug before they both toppled over onto the nearby sofa. The whole room rang with laughter.

**

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter...I thought you would have gathered that by now...**

**Nawwwwh Poor ickle Harry doesnt know what he's feeling XD I decided that this will be a Ebony/ Harry story, but it will take some time, you know how Harry can be... Sorry this was a depressing chapter, I had to explain what the Deatheaters could do.**

**If you're wondering why Ebony lied about the potion; think about it. You wouldn't want to tell someone that you were being tracked by an evil dark lord? So the secrets are building up and Hogwarts is only a few chapters away...I promise!**

**I hope you all like the new title, tell me what you think!**

**As always, Ask anything and reviews are always welcome!**


	14. Flying

"I give you a clean bill of health!" Mrs Weasley announced to the whole family as they gathered around a chair on which Ebony sat. She felt her cheeks flush and she glared at Harry who was whooping loudly and laughing with Ron who also gave her a cheeky smile.

"About time." She muttered to herself before Hermione walked over; rolling her eyes. She pulled her to her feet and began dragging her towards the stairs,

"Come on Ebony, you need to pack, we're leaving tomorrow!" Ebony sighed but was pulled back when someone else grabbed her other hand.

"Sorry Granger, quidditch comes before packing. We need to see if we've got new material for the pitch this year." Ebony turned around and faced Fred Weasley, he was a kind and humours person and Ebony enjoyed his company. The dynamic duo never failed to make her laugh while she had been bed ridden and bitter. Ebony looked at Hermione with hopeful eyes; she knew that she wasn't fond of flying but Ebony was so desperate to learn.

"Oh, alright, I'll just get a book and I'll join you outside." Ebony grinned and followed Fred out, where George, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Bill and Charlie were waiting with their brooms slung over their shoulder's. Charlie stood at the front of the group and when he spotted Ebony he beamed and walked over to introduce himself. They had met over dinner the other night but Ebony had been so put out; she really didn't feel like she'd met him before.

"Charlie-" he said offering her a hand, she took it and shook

"Ebony." He smiled and stood at the centre of the circle.

"Right, so we've got enough people for four a-side quidditch; Bill can be the captain of one team, and I'll be the captain of the other. Now, Ebony here, hasn't played before, so I was thinking before we headed into a game that we'd test her at each position, therefore we can see which area she is strongest in -"

"If any." Ebony added and both the twins winked at her with grins on their faces.

"So,-" Charlie carried on as if nothing had happened, "Ron, I want you to coach her through keeper and Harry you take a look at her seeking skills." Both Harry and Ron nodded, "Then, Ginny can demonstrate chaser and then that leaves you two," He signalled, pointing at the twins who waved their bats at Ebony,

"We'll be coaching you in the best position on the pitch; the beater." Bill snorted and Ron rolled his eyes. Charlie then turned to Harry and handed him another broom,

"Sorry, you'll have to use our dads until we can find another." Ebony looked at the broom in doubt, the end was full of dust and twigs were snapped off left right and centre. Harry chucked the broom at her and she had to react fast enough, otherwise the handle would have smacked her between the eyes. She caught it and Ebony glowered at Harry but he grinned,

"Nice reaction skills, you'll need that to be a seeker."

"And a keeper!" Ron butted in. Ebony couldn't help but smile.

The two boys then took her through the basic steps for flying, she had managed the command of her broom easily enough, but whenever she tilted back to fly a little higher, her speed would increase and she would end up ten foot up instead of four, resulting in a pressure headache which clouded her vision and made her lose control of the broom. Harry seemed quite happy with her progress and he added that he was surprised that she hadn't fallen off yet. Something only Harry had managed to accomplish when learning to fly. Ebony didn't really see it as an obstacle, she didn't want to fall to the ground from a height where breaking her neck was quite possible, so she chose not to. Harry had laughed at her reasoning's and muttered something about being "Very controlling..."

By the end of an hour, Ebony had learnt how to control her speed and direction by a slight tilt of the handle, she was a perfectionist at heart and in a way this aided her a lot. It was going to take a while before she was completely competent on a broom, but Ebony felt like it wouldn't take her long. Her confidence was boosted when Ron whispered in her ear,

"You're just as good as Harry was and he's a natural, you'll be perfectly fine in no time." Ebony had thanked him but now she had to concentrate. Harry was now letting the snitch loose, Ebony's task was to locate it and capture it before Harry could. Obviously an impossible task, but Hermione still gave her thumbs up before she took to the winds. The snitch was loose and Ebony scanned the skies, tilting her head slightly to catch a glimmer from the evening sun, just as Harry had taught her. The wind was blowing her hair in her face and she impatiently brushed it behind her ear. She didn't tag Harry like others must have done before her, it didn't feel right; if she was going to get the snitch, it would be her eyes that found it. Ebony felt eyes on her and she glanced down at the ground to spot the rest of the players watching eagerly, she looked away and narrowed her eyes against the wind. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a look of false triumph on Harry's face, almost a second after he dived and raced towards the ground, but Ebony did not move an inch. It was obvious that he was feinting. Harry circled up from the ground and glared at Ebony for not fooling for his trick, but it was in that moment that they both saw it; gold and glimmering, hovering just in front of where they were both flying. Without a second glance, Ebony sped forward with her arm out, reaching for the tiny golden ball; which was staying put for now. Just before the pair collided, the snitch darted out of the way and both flyers had to swerve violently in order to avoid each other. The crowd below let out a groan and watched as each player dove for the snitch.

The dive was steep, but Ebony had seen Harry pull it off, she knew his tactics. The dusty yard came closer and closer and until Hermione leapt from her seat and shrieked. Ebony pulled up as hard as she could and tilted backwards so she could avoid the ground. Harry had pulled out almost effortlessly but Ebony had managed just fine. They both flew towards the sky again and Ebony was just a few inches in front of Harry, she laughed as the wind blew her hair off her face and the weightlessness of flying made her heart beat with excitement. She was so close, the wings of the snitch batted against her finger tips. Suddenly, the gold speck halted and Ebony flew past it leaving Harry behind, to slow and pluck the snitch from the sky. There was a cheer from the ground and Harry winked at Ebony before they both flew to the ground and dismounted.

"That was bloody brilliant flying Caprice!" The twins said in unison. They thumped Harry on the back, "Sorry, but he is the best seeker of his generation." Harry turned red and Fred and George laughed.

"That's alright; I'll get him next time." Ebony warned and she stuck her tongue out at Harry who grinned in return. Charlie walked over and looked her up and down.

"You have speed and agility but you're just too tall for the seeker, even Harry is outgrowing his post." Charlie nodded at Harry who drew himself up. Ron walked up next to him and laughed,

"Finally caught up mate?" Everyone laughed as Harry punched Ron on the shoulder in retaliation. Bill came over to her side and added,

"If she's got the speed then that would make her a good chaser, she needs control to stay out of the way of the other players, but we need to check her accuracy." Charlie nodded in agreement before speaking again,

"Stay with Ron and play keeper for a while, then I want you to go straight over to Ginny, I think Bill is right, but you need to be able to shoot while flying and avoiding collision with other players." Ebony smiled brightly; the adrenalin was amazing, she could feel herself shaking slightly with excitement.

Ron waved her over and told her to watch as Ginny tried to score goals against her brother. He was good, but in a sort of clumsy way, he never blocked the goals with grace, rather, he threw his broom in front of where the quaffle was flying. It was a good method none the less. Ginny scored two goals but the rest were stopped and returned. Each Weasley seemed to be brilliant at this game, it was all overwhelming.

Ron then flew over to where she was standing; a large grin on his face. Harry thumped him on the back but shot Ebony a sarcastic look. The red head walked over and looked her in the eye,

"Did you get all of that? It can be very complicated." Ebony had to stop herself from laughing and rolling her eyes.

"What's to get? Don't let the quaffle in the goal and don't fall off." Ron's brothers laughed at her remark and Ron went pink.

"Well-er- there's-err" Hermione walked over and winked at Ebony

"She's only kidding Ronald." Ebony guffawed

"Yes Ronald." All the others were laughing freely now and Fred and George were holding onto their stomachs. A tall man with red hair and glasses walked out from the house towards them. All of the Weasley's stopped laughing and stared with daggers in their eyes towards the prim looking man with horn shaped brown frames set over his eyes; Weasley eyes. The atmosphere was so stretched that Ebony thought it could be cut with a knife. She watched Ron carefully and saw his ears turn red. She also watched a wary Harry put a firm hand on his arm.

The man walked with poise, with purpose. Ebony could see that he was either part of an organisation by the crest on his jacket, or he was a very important man in society. His shoes were shined and his jacket didn't have a speck of dust on it; he looked very out of place. Ebony looked down at her jeans and black jumper and wished she had worn a proper shirt. The man was close enough to recognise the features, he must be a Weasley. Finally he stopped In front of the group and Bill and Charlie straightened up and gave him a civilised but cold look. There was a pause; a silence that screamed so many unspoken words; the silence was broken

"YOU ARSE, PERCY WEASLEY!" Ron yelled as he pushed Harry flying and launched at his brother. The two red heads collided with the ground and created a cloud of dust. Ebony stared at the pair as Ron started to hit the man as hard as he could while continuing to mouth off about something that was completely beyond her. Hermione stood; with her hand over her mouth in shock. The other Weasley's were the same until Charlie yelled,

"STOP! BOTH OF YOU." Ron faltered and stood but lightly kicked the man before backing off. The red head rolled off the floor and winced as he brushed himself down. He glared at Ron and refused to speak to any of the others. He surprised everyone when he turned to Harry.

"The minister for magic wishes to offers his condolences and his warning about the use of magic while under age; Dumbledore has spoken to him and persuaded him to lift any charges as it was a matter of self defence, but he advises you to act as a better role model for newer- er- how to put it, additions to our society." Harry stared at the man in uncertainty; his face was white in shock and maybe anger; Ebony watched him with worried eyes. A slight cough disrupted the silence once more and Ebony looked around to see the man extending his hand out. She shook it firmly and he gave a thin smile. "Peruses Weasley, employee at the Ministry of Magic." Ebony didn't like him one bit, there was too much authority about him; as if he always went by the rules and would step over anyone to get anywhere in life.

"I had gathered." Ebony said in a cold voice; she narrowed her eyes and watched as the blood slowly left his cheeks. He took his hand back quickly and then handed over a letter. Ebony turned it over already knowing who it was from, and studied the seal. The same crest was there; printed in the wax. She stuffed the letter into her pocket and turned away from Peruses and walked over to Ginny. "So chaser, hm? I like the sound of that." She grinned and the tension was defused immediately. The boys turned away from Peruses and acted like he wasn't even there. He nodded to himself and disappeared with a crack.

It turned out that Chaser had been the best position for Ebony; she was fast on her broom and could make sharp turns to avoid the others. She need practise as she had almost fallen a few times when she had rotated out of a position in order to miss another flyer. She could use her vertigo trick in order to fly away from the fray by merely heading up a few foot quickly, although, she still didn't like that trick as it gave her a head ache and it took her a while to focus on the game again. She could throw fairly enough; she's been able to get one goal so far but she had almost crashed into the posts in the attempt. Her aim was good and she knew why, the years in the orphanage had kept her practised, enough said. To put it simply; Ebony loved Quidditch. The game was fast and furious, it was rough and skilful, and it lasted for what felt like hours. Harry was on the opposite team in the final game and she knew she had already lost; he was brilliant at what he did, but that didn't mean she had to give up that quickly.

Mrs. Weasley had called them for dinner and the teams flew to the ground and talked excitedly about how it had all gone. Hermione made her way over; carrying two books because she had gotten through the first. She smiled at Ebony,

"Well done, you're rather good at that." Ebony smiled but didn't reply; she was still thinking about the man from the Ministry and the letter that still sat in her pocket; somehow, flying and helped take things off her mind.

"I see you have got some reading done?" Hermione looked down at her books with fond eyes,

"Yeah..." She said slowly. Ron passed her a muttered something

"Not the only thing you like then." Hermione stopped and Ebony looked at Ron.

"What are you muttering about now Ronald?" The red head turned around; eyes blazing,

"You think you're always right, don't you!"

"That's ridicules!" She shouted back,

"I saw your face; you think it was wrong what I did to Percy!" Hermione flared her nostrils and glared back at him. Ebony stood between them, watching.

"I don't think! I know that was wrong! You need to keep a hold on that temper of yours!" Ron was turning redder by the second. Ebony lightly touched Hermione's shoulder to calm her down. Hermione seemed to relax a little but Ron was still shaking. Ebony saw Harry out of the corner of her eye, he was standing with his arms crossed, and obviously he was used to and tired of this sort of behaviour.

"You always think he's right, but you like being his little follower, you don't understand what's going on so don't get involved!"

"I don't think I'm right Ronald, and yes, I have no idea what is going on here, one minute you're calm and then the next your attacking your brother! You've got to think of this rationally"- but she was cut off,

"Rationally? It's past that Hermione! He's a traitor; he doesn't even deserve to come back here!"

"Ron! He's your brother for goodness sake!"

"Brother? Does a brother leave his family in the dirt to follow some crack pot old fool who doesn't even know that you-know-who has returned? Is he still a brother even when he's left us for a year and never spoken a word to any of us? He can't just come back into our lives, it's not right!"

"I can't even begin to understand what you're going through right now Ron, but these are hard times, he will realise what he has done, the worst thing you can do is act like a bloody savage!" Ron did a double take, even Harry was looking at her with eyes wide open. Hermione blushed a little but still gave Ron a cold look.

"Just leave it Hermione; you keep sticking your nose into other people's business. Drop it." Ron yelled before he walked off and stormed past his brothers who were looking at him doubtfully. Harry sighed and followed and Hermione was left; tears of anger brimming in her eyes. Ebony wasn't the type to voluntarily hug someone, so she felt useless, she didn't want to ask if she was okay because it was obvious that she wasn't. Ron was obviously going through some issues, but so was the rest of the family, he needed to deal with it better instead of taking it out on the voice of reason. Ebony could see why Ron was so mad, he wanted someone to agree with him; to see his actions as being right, to gain some sort of approval. He wasn't going to get it from Hermione. Ebony thought furiously, she didn't want to make a big deal out of it either, so she decided it was best to ignore what had happened completely.

"I need to pack, now! Come on, you're good at organising." Hermione sniffed and nodded and the two girls walked into the house together as the sunlight left the small cobbled courtyard where the brooms had been left, Ebony looked at the hills and entered the house with Hermione, an understanding stood between them.

* * *

"This is never going to fit." Ebony stated in a dull voice, her eyes sweeping over the pile of books and clothes. She couldn't even begin to comprehend how Hermione was doing it. As each item was folded and place within the case, there seemed to be less and less of a problem. Ebony turned towards the bed and started looking through the bags that sat there. Ginny was reading a book on the bed and wasn't being very talkative. Ebony couldn't quite understand her just yet. She's been doing that with people; figuring them out. Each new person she met, she analysed them, looked behind the surface. She could tell that Hermione was proud to the bone of who she was, but opinions made her doubt herself, a minor weakness. She was clever, but narrow minded. She was kind but snappy. Ebony could appreciate her persona. Ginny on the other hand was very reserved, so Ebony couldn't figure out what made her tick. She could only guess that her presence here was unnerving her, making her draw within herself. She knew one thing; Ginny was untrusting.

The bags rustled as she looked through the clothes. She had everything she needed, she looked closer at the colours; browns and blues and grey...Grey? With swallows? Ebony ran her fingers through the material,

"Silk..."

"Hmm?" Hermione mumbled from across the room. Ebony ignored her and pulled at the piece of clothing; dreading what she was going to find. She turned as she pulled out a grey silk dress with swallows and a rap around belt set at the waist.

"Oh no he didn't" Ebony spat clutching at the dress and shaking it with her words. Hermione sat and looked up at it.

"What's wrong?" Ebony stared pacing and thought of ripping the dress for a moment but a thought struck her.

"Here, you can have this." She said and chucked the dress at Hermione. She looked down at her lap and frowned.

"Ebony, what's going on?" Ebony pulled at the end of her hair and started twisting a lock through her fingers.

"Harry." Hermione frowned deeper,

"Harry?-"

"Yes! He slipped that dress in my bag the day at Diagon ally! He knew I didn't like it." Hermione's expression softened,

"That's not like him." Ebony stared at her with wild eyes,

"What am I going to do with a dress?" Ginny sat forward and took the dress from Hermione; she handed it back to Ebony and looked her in the eye.

"There's a valentines ball at Hogwarts each year, if you find someone to go with you could wear this." Ebony looked back at the dress and calmed a little. Yes, it would have been a little awkward to have gone to a ball in jeans and a T-shirt; she had to look the part. "We've both got dresses; I'm going to go with Dean." Hermione perked up and the girls started chatting together. Ebony just phased out and carried on packing until everything was sorted and organised, she had a bag to take with her on the train so that she could carry books and writing paper and her trusty ipod which had officially died. Ebony would sometimes look at the device, longing for it to light up and play her favourite tracks, but Ebony had to face the fact that she was starting a new life now where muggle things were frowned upon, she had to learn to let go.

She shuffled with her things for a while so that she didn't have to think images playing on her mind. She wasn't sure if she would talk to Harry about this, maybe she would stay quiet and take it in her stride. Ebony started twisting the end of her hair again. She clicked her tongue impatiently and grabbed a band from her wrist and tied up her long hair and wound it into a bun. Ebony stared chewing her lip, she was really put out. She shook her head a little and told herself to get a grip. She wasn't allowed to be like this, she had to be proper, strong, collected. She couldn't let anyone see her weakness, but she had already done that. Ebony frowned and mentally kicked herself. She wasn't going to get anywhere if she kept flourishing with emotions. Nothing should be shown, she couldn't wear her heart on her sleeves. Tomorrow she was setting off into the void, into a world that she had known nothing about. Ebony pulled out the letter from the Ministry and almost opened it, but something held her back. Her eyes ran over the words on the front; not really taking it all in. Percy's words replayed in her head;

_Into a new society _

Ebony felt sudden anger take a hold, she was almost shaking. How dare he suggest that she was a potential threat to this world, how dare he imply that she was apart from others, that she would be treated as an outcast. Ebony felt the anger literally run through her head, a strand of hair fell from her bun and obscured her hair. Blonde hair. Ebony shook her head and almost as soon as it had come; the blonde had gone. Ebony looked at the other girls; they were completely oblivious. She took a shaky breath and there was a pause before she ripped the letter in two and stuffed it back into her pocket, hoping that she would never remember it was even there. Ebony cleared her mind; there was one thing she needed to focus on.

Tomorrow, she was going to Hogwarts.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

**Sorry about the short chapter! I promise the next one will be longer! So, quidditch? Do you like her position? Did you like the game? Sorry, I'll improve on that aspect. If anyone is wondering why Ginny seems a bit quiet; it's because, underneath it all, Ebony is reminding her of Tom**

**Hogwarts next! Any idea's about what you think will happen next? E.G. her house?**

**Hope you enjoyed**

**and as always, reviews are welcome!**


	15. Train

Her eyes fluttered open,

"My head..." Ebony groaned as she sat up and tested her limbs for movement. She felt the cool floor beneath her frame and glanced at her reflection from the smooth surface. Where was she?

"Ah, Ebony, I see you are awake." Ebony jumped as the hiss reached her ears, her skin prickled and she leapt to her feet. Unfortunately she moved to fast and her head buzzed and she lost her balance and fell to the floor again. Voldemort chuckled at her moment of weakness and watched as she slowly stood once more.

Ebony brushed down her clothes and gave Voldemort a hard stare, she would not be fooled. Ebony watched him as he looked at a goblet on the table, she did not move towards him, nor did she try to run away. She would be strong. As she watched; another goblet materialised in front of a chair to Voldemort's left. "Sit." Voldemort said quietly. Ebony did not move.

The wizard looked up from his drink and smiled lightly. "Sit, now." And he pointed his wand at her. Ebony felt a hand push her from behind, it prodded her forward; towards the table. Ebony huffed in annoyance; she would not be made a fool. She strode across the room and paused before sitting.

Voldemort kept his eyes on his wand before he spoke again. "Now, that wasn't too hard, was it Ebony?" she gave him a cold glare and refused to answer. She would not play his game, not matter how hard he tried; she would not break. "Now now child, I value manners in my followers."

Ebony narrowed her eyes and pushed her hair from her face so that she could come across more respectable,

"I do not follow you." Voldemort chuckled again, but there was no smile upon his face.

"Need I remind you of your place, _child_." The last part of his sentence was said bitterly. Ebony winced but tried to smooth over her face, she couldn't let him see what she was thinking.

"What do you want?" Ebony said in a distasteful tone. The wizard tilted his head a little and glanced at her untouched goblet,

"Drink Ebony, it will calm your nerves." Ebony frowned and looked at the goblet. It looked like it was made from gold, with stones set around the rim. Ebony didn't like it one bit. She regarded her cup before looking up at Voldemort. Nothing needed to be said. "Exaudio" Voldemort whispered casually and Ebony felt her arms move slightly.

"No..." she muttered under breath and she watched in horror; as her hand grasped the cup and started lifting it towards her mouth. Ebony struggled with herself but it was no use, she could only watch as the cup came into contact with her lips. She felt the liquid move down her throat; it was cold as ice. The goblet was returned to the table and Ebony regained control of her limbs once more.

"I will not tolerate disobedience Ebony." Voldemort muttered as he watched her looking at the cup with a feeling of dismay. He could make her do anything he wanted; Ebony's mind screamed with revulsion. She did not want to think that she had no will of her own. How was it possible that this spell was not illegal; it was so much like imperio.

"Why is that not unforgiveable?" She asked quietly before she could stop herself. She hated her curiosity at times. Voldemort looked slightly surprised at her comment but replied,

"An unforgiveable affects the mind, while Exaudio merely makes the body of the victim go forth with an act. I was not controlling your mind, your response made that clear enough." He laughed before continuing "You do not like that, do you? I can sense that you hate the control of others. I myself never liked that either." Ebony recoiled at his comment,

"Do not compare you and I." Ebony gave him a hard stare that he returned. Her thoughts wondered to dark spells that she wished to cast upon the man. She wished to see him burn, to see him scream in agony as he died a slow painful death.

A tingling feeling rose in her left arm, and her fingers wished to grasp her wand. An ache rested in her throat as she thought of screaming spells directed at his heart. Ebony bared her teeth and blonde hair fell in front of her eyes. She felt the mark run from her eye and her head ached with anticipation. Ebony looked into those pitiless red eyes and saw a monster staring back at her.

Ebony sucked in a breath and jumped back a little, retreating into the back of the chair. At once, the blonde hair darkened and she felt her face for the indent that had disappeared.

"Interesting." Voldemort mused, his eyes never leaving her face, "So Lucius was not lying." Ebony lost her composure a little,

"What was in that drink?" She spat as she clenched the arms of the chair, turning her knuckles white as the bone came forth. Voldemort glance at her hands before looking at her drink. He lifted the cup and looked in. He smiled before looking back at her,

"I believe my potion has begun to take effect, though, this is only water Ebony." Ebony's thoughts raced and rested upon the scene in Diagon Alley. She had to remain calm, if Lucius had been right, then that potion would track her every movement. She could not let it turn her; she had to resist the dark magic that called her hands each time her thoughts turned violent. Her heart jumped; what if anybody saw her when she was... Different.

"Oh yes Ebony, that would be a shame, would it not? What if Potter found out what lies beneath? He would feel so...Betrayed."

"Stop it." She barely managed, signalling where her weakness was. She mentally kicked herself. She was opening herself up for his taunts.

Voldemort watched her with hungry eyes and she tried to avoid his gaze. To make eye contact was to let him know of her inner turmoil.

"I brought you before me to talk." Ebony frowned in confusion; not worrying what he could see flash across her face. Ebony made no comment but Voldemort carried on regardless, "You have defied me a fair few times, so I thought it apt to find out a little more." Ebony kept her gaze on the table, this was what she had been expecting; an interrogation.

"When is your birthday Ebony?" Ebony's heart jumped a little; that was one of the first questions Dumbledore had asked her upon meeting him. Ebony thought it was best not to lie, although her reply might seal her unknown fate.

"The first of August." Voldemort smiled and nodded to himself as if she had just confirmed something.

"And the year." Ebony stumbled a little. Should she lie once more?

"1980." She said with more confidence than the first time, but Voldemort was not fooled.

"Do not lie to me child. I can see what Dumbledore cannot." Ebony watched as Voldemort leant forward and placed two hands upon the table. "The year, if you please." Ebony felt deflated, she could not avoid those eyes that craved for knowledge. Ebony flared with anger, he already knew her answer but he was making her verbalise it to officially admit to her lie.

"1981" She sighed and Ebony closed her eyes as a great tiredness overcame her for a few seconds.

"Good, you are learning child." Ebony growled under her breath, she hated him for how he made her feel. She felt like she was giving away things that she ought not to. Ebony felted cheated out of fairness. "Why did you lie?" Ebony opened her eyes and looked at Voldemort, she was confused, why didn't he just pick the answer out from her mind. It was pretty simple. Ebony didn't answer, she didn't want to vocalise why she had denied her actual age. She was still confused about it herself.

Voldemort stood from the table and walked behind her chair; placing his white hands on the back of her seat. She reframed from shivering. Ebony did not look round; if she did, she would signal her distress at his movement. She had to seem comfortable, relaxed. There was no need to keep her eyes on him the entire time.

"Come now Ebony-" he hissed by her cheek. The movement pushed her hair over her eyes.

"I don't know." She said quietly and held her breath as Voldemort hissed.

Voldemort stood back and Ebony pushed her chair back so she could stand and walk into the middle of the room. She needed some space between them. Ebony could feel the eyes boring into the back of her skull and she ached to grasp her wand.

As soon as the thought washed over her mind; Voldemort laughed, causing her to turn to towards him. He drew a white wand from his robes and held it up so she could see it properly. Ebony spied the waver in the wood and the burnt handle and tried to hold back a groan. She could do no damage with her wand over there.

But Voldemort did something she really wasn't expecting. He threw her wand high into the air; it came hurtling towards her and she lunged forward to grasp it before it fell. She was not quick enough and it clattered against the floor. Ebony glance up to where Voldemort had been standing. He was not there anymore.

Ebony skidded on her knees and flew across the floor to where her wand was, her hand fell upon the warm wood and she smiled, but her smile did not last for long. From nowhere; Voldemort shot a spell at her. Ebony heard,

"Diffindo!" Ebony closed her eyes and waited for it to hit.

The spell threw her across the room where she landed on her back; bleeding from the deep cut in her side. Ebony growled under breath, instead of crying out she jumped to her feet and pointed her wand at the monster that had started to circle her. Before she could scream a spell, a shot of red light came from her wand and hurtled towards Voldemort; who looked angry. Ebony had only been thinking of getting his wand away from him so she could fully attack him, but the spell had already been cast, and she had not said a word. The anger that once ran through her mind seconds before vanished and she started to tremble a little.

"Better, but that won't harm me Ebony." Voldemort mocked after easily side-stepping her disarming spell. "Again." And Ebony jumped as he sent another cutting jinx at her. She went by her instinct and brought her wand across her body and whispering,

"Protago." She tried to hold onto the magic as the spell came into contact with her shield. The impact still took her off her feet and winded her. Ebony lay gasping on the floor as Voldemort continued to talk,

"You need more force Ebony; shout the spell like you mean it!" He pointed his wand at her and pushed her across the floor so she collided with the table and chairs. Ebony groaned as the wood dug into her ribs. She stood once more and walked forwards; slipping a little on the blood trail she had left behind. Voldemort watched her stumble, he then twitched his wand a little, so that the rug she had just stepped onto pulled out from under feet; sending her to the ground once more.

"God damn it!" Ebony spat at him as she tried to pull herself from the floor. Voldemort watched her curse,

"You need to watch your surroundings, keep an eye on everything around you." Ebony huffed and finally stood on wavering feet. "Keep your wand out; ready. Never let your eyes leave your opponent." Voldemort continued steadily as if he was tutoring her.

"You're a very dynamic teacher." Ebony muttered under breath as she rubbed at her side and winced when her hand came into contact with the deep cut. Her blood was running over her fingers and Ebony started to feel a little light headed.

"The first offence is the most important." Voldemort explained, "Injure them and their chance of survival will diminish. Already you are feeling the effects of blood loss. How could you stand and duel for longer? Listen Ebony, you can learn from my actions." Ebony glared at him as he continued to "teach" her. She raised her wand and tried to disarm him again, but he grew angry. He slashed his wand and her wand flew from her grip and rolled across the floor. She watched and then looked up at Voldemort. His eyes held annoyance.

"You will do better next time." He turned away from her; as if he was dismissing her. Anger bristled in her and she couldn't stop herself from retaliating.

"Go to hell." She growled at him. Voldemort did not turn, but Ebony felt the magic reverberate through the room. She was thrown off her feet and pushed backwards across the floor. Ebony sat against the far wall; dazed.

The scene began to shake as if being watched from a train carriage, Ebony felt cool glass pressing against her forehead and the image of Voldemort faded as she opened her eyes and found herself on the Hogwarts Express, slumped against the window, awakening from a dose.

The carriage door slid open and Harry appeared at the entrance. Ebony placed a warm smile upon her face, but underneath it all she was still lingering on Voldemort's last encounter...

* * *

Harry left Hermione and Ron to their meeting; robes on and shiny silver badges in place, while he moved down the train to try and locate Ebony. He was sure that he would find her crushed against the window by a mob of first years, but each carriage he past held no girl with dark hair and eyes.

Harry was getting closer and closer to the Slytherin end of the train before he finally found her; sleeping against the glass. He frowned slightly; Hermione had mentioned that she had been restless the night before. Harry shrugged to himself and slid the door open as she opened her eyes and looked over at him. She looked pale and tired but Harry felt reassured when she gave him a small sleepy smile. He was about to enter the carriage when someone called out to him,

"Oi, Potter! Where are your friends? Did the blood traitor and mudblood dump you for others?" Malfoy jeered. Harry muttered under his breath and prayed that Ebony had not heard. He looked outside of his compartment and saw the blonde boy strolling towards him. What surprised Harry was the lack of his sidekicks, usually Draco went nowhere without them. Harry looked a little closer and saw an enraged look upon his face. Draco had obviously hardened over the summer; he was dressed in a sharp black suit with a black shirt underneath. Now that his father had gone, Draco had grown a little. Harry raised an eye brow and faced him.

"I could ask you the same question, Malfoy." Harry responded trying to close the compartment door behind him so that Ebony would not come to investigate.

Malfoy glanced at the door and smirked,

"Who are you hiding in there?" He asked in a mocking tone; while trying to push past Harry to look.

"Just leave her alone!" Harry could have slapped himself around the face. Malfoy's expression changed and he raised his eye brows. He pushed past him completely and looked in the compartment. Harry glanced in over his shoulder and let out a sigh. Ebony was fiddling with her hair and looking out of the window. Completely unaware of the two boys looking at her through the glass.

"Who's her?" Malfoy asked, his eyes still resting on Ebony.

"She's nobody." Harry quickly replied, trying to push Malfoy away from the door. He grunted and smirked before walking down the corridor.

"She better be in Slytherin." Malfoy called over his shoulder before shutting the connecting door with a snap; leaving Harry alone; fuming in the corridor.

* * *

Harry sat with Ebony; neither of them talked for a while, they were just sitting in each other's company and that's what Harry liked about Ebony. She was her own person; she did not need to talk in order to feel normal. She liked to have her own personal space in which she thought. Harry indulged in these moments; usually he was crowded by people, or stuck in the middle of an argument between Ron and Hermione. With Ebony, almost everything felt normal.

"Who was that then?" Ebony asked casually and Harry stifled a groan,

"Er, well, that-" he was cut short when the door of the compartment slid open and revealed Neville and Luna. Harry jumped up and invited them in.

"Hi Harry!" Neville said enthusiastically. "How was your summer?" Harry smiled and sat down with his friend as they began to chat feeling relieved that he did not have to answer her question just yet.

"Hullo Harry." Luna said in her dreamy voice, she had addressed him, but she was looking at Ebony with interest in her blue far away eyes. "Who is your new friend?" Harry blushed and introduced Ebony to them both. He went with Dumbledore's story; that she had been homeschooled for a while and then decided to come to Hogwarts. It wasn't that he didn't trust them; he just wanted Ebony to remain a secret until he knew they were away from listening enemies.

Ebony seemed far away and only talked with the rest a few times. Harry imagined her thinking of Hogwarts and how her life was going to change. He wondered if she was worried about her house. Maybe she thought she would be placed somewhere away from what she was familiar by. Harry wondered if he would be bothered if she was not placed in Gryffindor. He knew that it was a possibility that she would be placed in Ravenclaw because she definitely possessed those traits, but she also had a crafty edge which could make her a Slytherin. Harry shivered; he definitely didn't want her to be in Slytherin; the house where deatheater parents were common.

The day grew darker and later Ron and Hermione joined them, they chatted and played cards and bought sweets from the trolley as it passed. Ebony seemed to brighten up a little; maybe she was feeling guilty about her anti-social behaviour. Hermione was the main person to talk to, but Ebony also seemed to warm to Luna, looking like she understood the peculiar girl who wore radishes for earrings.

The time came for them to change into their robes and Harry held Ebony adjust her black Hogwarts tie; it would change when the sorting hat placed her. Harry saw a flash of green on the tie and he reframed from jumping back a little. He mentally kicked himself; Ebony would be placed in whatever house suited her best and there was nothing he could do about that.

The compartment was cramped by the time they had settled into their Hogwarts robes, they talked for a little more and Harry groaned when Ron started up his bickering with Hermione. They still hadn't forgiven each other for the day back at the Burrow. Harry sighed and ignore the pair and tried to listen as best as he could as Neville talked excitedly about his new plants that he had re potted and planted. Harry saw the station up ahead and he felt at home once more and smiled as the train slowed. They were finally here; they were at Hogwarts once again.

Harry followed Ron to the carriages and looked at what drew them. His heart darkened a little, he knew why he could see those strange, yet beautiful creatures. Cedric's form floated in front of his eyes and he blinked quickly. He didn't want another reminded of what mistakes he had made. Harry's depression deepened when he thought of the letters he would not receive from Sirius anymore. There would be no gathering in Hogsmead, not secret names or surprise fireplace arrivals. This year he would be alone. Yes, he would have his friends, but his last connection to his family – excluding Lupin- had now gone.

Harry trailed a little behind and took a great interest in the forest floor. He didn't feel anyone beside him and he was grateful. He needed just a little time to overcome his sudden emotional change.

Harry thought of Dumbledore and frowned a little, he wasn't looking forward to another year of being kept in the dark. He wasn't looking forward to the office moments, where Dumbledore spun out riddles that just made his head ache, but most of all, he wasn't looking forward to the re-introduction of his "extra potions lessons" with Snape. He dreaded the evenings he would have to spend with the professor as he chipped away at his mental defence, the whole time, never actually teaching him.

* * *

Harry clapped along with the other students, leaning backwards so he could catch the first year sorting. He couldn't see Ebony and he assumed she would be sorted after them; seeing as she was older. Robert Wills was sorted into Ravenclaw and the headmaster stood and caught the attention of all the students. He remained silent for a while before moving forwards and addressing them all.

"Students, tonight we will not only be sorting the young. We will also be sorting the new." And with that; Ebony emerged from a side door; hidden behind the staff table. She looked a little nervous, but she shook her head and paced across the platform and sat upon the wooden stool. Professor Mcgonagall then placed the hat upon her head and it fell over her eyes.

Harry didn't realise he was holding his breath as he watched the hat remain silent for a while. Harry watched Ebony fiddle with her robes as she waited for the hat's decision. Suddenly, Ebony clenched her hands into fists and sat rigid on the stool. Harry closed his eyes; waiting for what was to come.

* * *

Ebony sat as still as possible. _No, no no! I can't and I won't. _The hat mused at her reply,

_But it seems the best place for you; you have it all in here. Just behind those eyes._

_Please, please, please... _Ebony thought desperately, _anywhere but there..._

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter -_-**

**Here is chapter 15, I am very sorry it took me so long, and I am also sorry about the length of this chapter. This took me ages to write, but when comparing it to other chapters; it wasn't nearly as long.**

**I hope you are all still enjoying my work and thank you for the reviews so far.**

**Please ignore any mistakes in this chapter. It is 3:00AM here and I am incredibly tired. **

**So, what are your thoughts? What house do you think she will be sorted into? Any suggestions as to what you think?**

**Thanks for reading and I'll try and update soon.**

**As always, reviews are always welcome.**

**~JadedHowl**


	16. Torn Between Two

Chapter 16

"Robert Wills?" Called professor McGonagall as she looked over the long list of names and watched as a nervous looking first year stumbled up the steps and sat himself down. Ebony jumped; he was the last first year, next it would be her under that hat.

The hall remained quiet for a second before the hat bellowed,

"Ravenclaw!" The young boy heaved a sigh of relief as he hopped down from the stall and joined his table; his tie slowly changing colour as he sat with his fellow first years. Ebony's heart was racing and her hands shook as she took a hold of the door handle and pushed it open. She had been watching through a small crack in the frame; but now that she had a full view, she could really appreciate how wonderful the hall was. She looked up and watched the enchanted ceiling that projected a gloomy night from which the moon was absent.

Ebony jerked as Dumbledore announced her to the rest of the school and she felt the full blast of resting eyes. Ebony took a deep breath and tried to forget about the crowd. She was so nervous she missed a blonde boy with miss match eyes sitting within the crowd, watching; almost as nervous as she was.

Her legs threatened to fail her as she tottered across the raised platform; repeating in her mind that it was silly to get herself worked up like this. She needed to prove to herself that she had every right to be here. Ebony faltered; what if she wasn't supposed to be here? What if the hat refused to sort her and Dumbledore sent her back home, where she was hunted for crimes that she did not commit.

Ebony swallowed painfully and thought of running from the hall, but before she could make up her mind, she arrived in front of the stall. She glanced up at the head table before turning around to face the entire school. Ebony avoided looking at Harry; she couldn't stand seeing those hopeful eyes.

She lost sight of the great hall and peered into the gloom that was the sorting hat, her heart missed a beat when a voice spoke loudly,

"_AHA! I knew it, I knew that someone like you would crop up somewhere, I know exactly where to put you."_

Ebony wondered what he had meant when she felt her stomach drop as the hat answered her thought.

"_Well, you're one of the last descendants of Salazar himself! I've only had the honour to sit upon a few heirs in my time!"_

"_Please sir, don't associate me with that name." _The hat paused for a little, as if in deep thought.

"_McGonagall called you Caprice; you are hiding your name? Are you not?" _Ebony shuffled on the stool and gripped the rim of the seat.

"_Would you like to announce to the school that you are the only living relative to that abomination?" _Ebony thought bitterly. The hat chuckled a little.

"_Still, you have all the traits right here, determination and a streak of craftiness and wit. You would do well in Slytherin, surely you can see behind that green?" _As the hat had been talking; Ebony had been steadily increasing her grip on the seat, hoping with all her might that she would not be placed in Slytherin.

"_I would not want history to repeat itself."_ She thought to herself but of course, the hat heard it all. There was a cold silence and Ebony wanted to twiddle with her hair in order to stop herself from going crazy.

"_Do you know what I am Miss Gaunt?" Ebony flinched at the name but remained silent, "I am the sorting hat! I have put people in their place for centuries now, and I have gathered a lot from those years!"_

Ebony cringed at the highly ironic comment; she was defiantly being put in her place. The hat continued in more of a bitter tone. _"I know what you are child, yet I will not tell, I carry everyone's secrets Missy! How would you feel knowing everything and not being able to tell anyone?"_ Ebony stuttered before replying,

"_I'd feel like I was going to explode."_ The hat laughed at her response; it was a bitter laugh, full of age and wisdom.

"_Well, you do have some brains in here. You've got to let me in child, all I see is a Slytherin, maybe that is not who you are underneath it all. Don't harden yourself Caprice."_ Ebony smiled at the reference to her preferred name and relaxed a little. Although, she didn't reveal anything more to the hat. There was no need for it.

The hat sighed, "So be it."

"_No, no no! I can't and I won't" _the hat didn't listen, it only gave her a cryptic message to think upon before yelling,

"SLYTHERIN!"

"_If that's where you've put me, you have made a huge mistake, I'm not afraid to take it on" _she thought before the hat was lifted away

Ebony's heart sank as the hall broke out in applause, she didn't want to open her eyes, or move from her seat, but she also didn't want to look like an idiot. Ebony stood shakily and felt the eyes of Albus Dumbledore on her back as she made the slow walk towards the Slytherin table. She felt like dead man walking, with only a few minutes left before she was executed.

The buzz of the hall didn't seem to connect with her mind; to her the hall was quiet and muffled, like it was taking the shock as bad as she was. Ebony didn't want to meet eyes with Harry; she knew she would find the eyes of disappointment and betrayal, but it was unavoidable as her natural instinct made her glance towards the gold and red; looking at the colours longingly. She saw Harry and her heart almost stopped. He was sitting in shock, his faced drained of colour, his eyes searching her face as she walked. The moment was drawn out and painful, but he suddenly broke the contact and looked down at his plate, his face covering what he was really thinking.

Ebony broke a little inside; it was like he had given up on her due to her placement.

Ebony had not reached the table yet, but her tie should have changed colour, yet it still remained black. Ebony looked at the table a head of her and something caught her attention. Miss match eyes were smiling up at her from farther down the table. A shock of blonde fell over the brow of someone she remembered.

"James?" She whispered to herself, she was so shocked she almost missed the noise that erupted from behind her.

"Stop." The hat commanded. The hall fell into a hush. From their experience, the hat never did this, never spoke out loud apart from the usual starting song. Ebony stopped and shivered a little and slowly turned to face the hat in the hands of Dumbledore himself; he was looking at the object with awe in his eyes. He then looked up at Ebony with distrust mixed with the blue that pierced her, he placed the hat on the stall again and Ebony looked down at it; wondering what she had done now. Her heart was beating faster and faster as she realised that he might reveal her secret to the entire student body. She went to interrupt the hat but it shouted before she could even open her mouth,

"GRYFFINDOR!" A rush of warmth hit her as she smiled and let out a small laugh as the Gryffindor started to clap; unsure of what had just happened. There was whispering throughout the hall but Ebony didn't care. Her heart was bursting with happiness that only increased when she heard someone whoop,

"YES!" Ebony looked over and saw a smiling Harry, with a blush slowly creeping into his cheeks as he realized people staring.

Ebony was about to move over to the table when she felt someone lay a hand on her shoulder. Dumbledore quietly whispered into her ear,

"I hope you would not mind a small chat Miss Caprice?" Ebony almost shrugged off his hand, but she looked back at him; her gaze never faltering. The headmaster seemed to search her eyes before she answered sharply,

"Not at all, Headmaster." He nodded to himself and turned towards the door she had appeared from. Ebony didn't look back at the hall as she followed the wizard into the back room.

* * *

"You will stay here throughout the year; the girls dormitory is not prepared for another guest and this is the best we can do." Dumbledore talked as he showed her a nicely sized room hidden behind a tapestry in the Gryffindor common room. At the centre; a four poster bed stood with red drapes and covers. It looked very comfortable. At the front of the bed sat her trunk with her initials printed on the outside. Ebony felt a flare of guilt when she saw _EC _instead of _EG. _

"The password is nightshade, please do not let this spread, this room has been a careful secret for many years. It is a shame we had to disturb it." Ebony shuffled a little as anger flared inside; did the headmaster just hint that he didn't want her here?

"I'll do my best Sir." She replied shortly as she took off her tie and set in down next to her bed. The wizard sensed her dismissal and bowed stiffly before retreating from the room; leaving her completely alone.

Ebony looked around the room a little longer as she thought about her predicament. She had been so busy that she hadn't had the time to think about what she had seen that night. Her stomach did an involuntary flip as she remembered the miss match eyes. Ebony wondered if it could really have been James. Of course she knew he came to Hogwarts, but after his disappearance at the station, Ebony hadn't really thought he would be back here at all. To be honest with herself, she hadn't really thought about the Slytherin at all. Ebony blushed a little as a feeling of disapproval overcame her. She and Harry had been together at the Dursley's for over a week and neither of them had discussed him further; they had both forgotten about him when he could have been in grave danger.

A curiosity crept into her mind; why had he disappeared? Could he have been involved in the attack somehow? Ebony pushed these thoughts aside,

"Don't be silly-" she said to the room, "He helped you get away from that Deatheater in London."

To rid herself of the thoughts; Ebony stood and started to place things around the room. She removed her cloak and draped it over a chair that was set next to a small desk. Ebony soon realized that there was no lighting in her room; there were no windows at all. Suddenly she felt completely cut off from the rest of the world. She knew that she was only hidden behind a wall and that the common room was not that far away, but it dawned on her that Dumbledore might have only placed her in the act that someone might just forget about her and she would melt into the walls as if she never existed.

Ebony bristled and shrugged to herself; if anyone forgot about her, it would do no harm to her or any of them. She strode across her room and opened the door to the common room where she found an empty room void from life. She checked the clock above the fireplace and saw that it was beyond midnight. How long had she sat there and thought?

Instead of going back into her room, she crossed the carpet and sat herself down on the large sofa in front of the fireplace. She settled into the left side; nearest her door and watched the flames as they flickered and leapt in the grate. Ebony sighed and drew her knees up and hugged them. She sat her chin on her knees and continued to stare into the warmth; not really seeing it, but feeling it. Ebony felt somewhat content; she was where she wanted to be, and far from where she should have been. Ebony knew that the hat had been right; she was an heir of Slytherin, of course she should be in his house. She growled under her breath as she remembered the hats' arrogance, she clenched her jaw; he was an object with a voice. An object had got her so worked up. Ebony closed her eyes in annoyance; she needed to control that temper of hers.

Ebony had been so swept away in her own mind that she had not heard someone creeping down the stone steps of the boys' dormitory. They made their way across the common room and stopped in front of the sofa before sitting and causing Ebony to open her eyes in alarm. Her hands went out and she caught the person's wrist before she looked to see who it was.

"Whoa, easy there." Harry laughed as he placed his hand around her own wrist, "Some grip you've got there." He added as an afterthought. Ebony let out a sigh of relief and sat back and rested her head against the pillows. She closed her eyes again and smiled.

"Sorry Harry, it has been one hell of a day." He chuckled before relaxing back into the sofa as well. They both sat there in silence, thinking about what had happened that day. They weren't sure whether or not to discuss what had happened down in the great hall. Harry shuffled a little,

"Harry?" She asked uncertainly, Ebony knew what she was attempting but asked none the less,

"Hmm?"

"I just wanted to say- down there, when the hat-" Harry cut her off,

"Welcome to Gryffindor Ebony." She opened her eyes and found him smiling at her. She felt her insides go warm. Harry had accepted her, and for now that was all that mattered.

* * *

Harry sat at the Gryffindor table watching as the hat was removed and Ebony stood. His hunger was gone as he followed her movement towards the table he least wished to see her at. He felt hollow inside, he felt like someone had just pulled a rug out from under his feet and he was constantly falling in surprise and horror. Harry still wasn't breathing as his eyes took in the image. Ebony walked with an eerie confidence, her hair flowing over one shoulder and shining in the light. Her face was set and beautiful, and her eyes never wavered as she looked towards the Slytherin table. She looked like she wanted to be there.

Harry wanted her to see him in the hall, just so that she could realise what house she was truly sitting at. He wanted her to see that this placement might as well as be the end of their correspondence, Harry blushed a little at his rash thinking, but he knew that was what It was going to be like. Once she settled in she would make new friends that thought differently to the way he, Ron and Hermione did. She would change and there was nothing Harry could do about it.

Then, Ebony looked up. Harry wished she hadn't

Her face told Harry something that he really didn't want to admit. She was happy about where she was going. There was a trace of dismissal in her eyes when she looked at Harry, something that said that he was foolish for ever thinking they could be friends. Harry's heart became heavy and he broke the connection and looked down at his plate; feeling sick to his stomach.

Harry didn't know what had happened next but Hermione had grasped his arm tightly. Slowly he looked up and focused on the hat that was looking strangely at Ebony. Dumbledore was also looking at her with questioning eyes. Harry's anger flared a little, he didn't like how Dumbledore was treating her. It wasn't her fault.

He was so swept away he almost missed what the hat cried,

"GRYFFINDOR!" Harry's heart beat a little faster and he clapped loudly with his house mates and stood up and punched the air and yelled,

"YES!" Harry met eyes with Ebony and she smiled; Harry looked around him and found a few eyes resting on him. He felt himself blush and he quickly sat and relaxed into the welcoming applause. What Harry did not see was James Ramore as he watched Harry with jealousy in his differing eyes.

Harry watched as Ebony was lead into another room by Dumbledore, he frowned and wondered what was going on. Hermione seemed to read his thoughts,

"This is Hogwarts history Harry, the hat has never changed its mind before. Dumbledore is probably just explaining it to her." Harry sighed a little and she put a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry, you'll see her in the common room tonight." He smiled at her and nodded, although the feeling of worry did not leave his stomach, the meal in front of him did not look so inviting.

"Oi, Harry, what was that all about?" Asked Dean from further down the table. "You know her or something?" Harry cursed in his head before shaking his head and answering,

"Nah, but I've heard she's a good chaser and we need one for this year." Dean nodded and accepted his answer and returned to his food. Harry only realised that Ginny was sitting next to him; holding his hand and whispering in his ear. He was taken aback; he didn't know they were going out. Harry looked up at Ron and saw his ears turning red; he tried to distract him before he cracked his plate.

"You going to try out for keeper Ron?" Ron looked up; surprised and then shrugged. "You're pretty good mate, you should go out for it in the trials. Oliver Wood has left now; we need someone just as good as him." Harry knew that complimenting him would take his mind off things.

"So what do you all think about this Caprice girl?" Seamus said, starting up a conversation that attracted a few listeners. Harry remained silent,

"She seems nice enough." Hermione put in, but many didn't agree,

"Why was she put in Slytherin then?"

"Maybe she bewitched the hat to change its mind-"

"Don't be stupid; why would she choose Gryffindor is she was evil?"

"Well I don't know! I'm not the evil mastermi-" But Harry stopped listening to the babble that circulated around Ebony. He would only catch a few bits of each conversation, hearing many different opinions about her. Over all, Gryffindor seemed to be a little afraid of her.

"Shame really," Harry overheard Seamus telling Dean "she's a bit of a stunner." Harry held back a growl and he glared at his two roommates who had failed to notice him. He clenched his cutlery and forgot about the mouthful of potatoes on his fork. Hermione nudged him with her elbow and he looked sideways at her. She had a gleam in her eyes that Harry didn't like. How could she even know about how he felt; he wasn't totally sure himself. Harry looked away from Hermione and stared at his plate and then took a sip of pumpkin juice.

"Do you think she'll be in your dorm?" He asked Hermione quietly and she looked at him for a minute before replying,

"Probably, do you want me to say anything to her for you?" Harry jumped at her question,

"Err, no- no thanks, I was just wondering." Hermione gave him a knowing smile. "What?" he asked her sharply.

"Oh nothing, don't worry Harry." He huffed and turned back to his meal.

Later on he felt eyes on him, and he looked up to catch James Ramore watching him from over his goblet. He nodded at him and Harry slowly nodded back. He was surprised to see him here, he had completely forgotten about his disappearance before the attack. Harry felt a little guilty for not thinking about him sooner. He could have been in danger and Harry had let his presence flow from his mind. He tried to comfort himself; he told himself that he was busy that day; there were a lot of things going on.

Harry tried to remember where he had seen James before. He knew that he was a 7th year Slytherin and that Harry would sometimes see him around the halls, but there was something else. There was something familiar about his eyes and build. Harry smiled when he remembered. James was the Slytherin's Quidditch team keeper. Maybe this year he would be captain. Like Harry. He jolted when he remembered his responsibilities. Dumbledore had named him captain. He was the one to shake the other's hand. He cringed a little at the thought of facing James and shaking hands. He didn't know why, but something set Harry against him, something small.

Harry decided to catch the Slytherin before bed, maybe he would have the chance to apologise for bailing on him at the station.

Dumbledore returned near the end of the feast and gave them all the usual evening send off. The benches scraped back as the students when to their common rooms. Hermione and Ron hurried off to lead the first years and Harry was left to run after James as he tried to leave the hall.

"James!" Harry shouted over the noise. The blonde turned around and waited for Harry to catch up. When Harry got closer, he realised how tall he really way; probably even taller than Ebony. He caught his breath and moved over a little to let the others through. "Sorry. About, you know- sorry about the train station. I never even thought to go looking for you." He went to go on, but James stopped him.

"No need Potter." Harry flinched a little "I did mention I was leaving, but you seemed quite distracted." Harry nodded a little but still felt the awkward atmosphere.

"I'll tell Ebony that you're alright." James smirked a little and leaned over. Harry wanted to step backwards but something kept him rooted to the spot.

"Give Miss Caprice my regards." He said in a cold voice before straightening up and pushing past Harry and back into the crowd.

Harry stood still and watched him push through the other students. Others seemed to melt out of his path and Harry couldn't blame them. Now that Harry really thought about it; James was quite a menacing character. Harry almost felt a little mad that he had to use the same name for someone that was completely different to his father, but then Harry remembered the memory. He shivered and hoped that his father was nothing like the man he saw in the pensive. He had been pushing that thought away for too long now.

He finally moved from his spot and slowly walked up the stairs after the crowd had long gone. His footsteps echoed throughout the main entrance.

* * *

Harry couldn't sleep. He had sat in the common room with the others for an hour; waiting for Ebony to come through the portrait. The others had chatted while Harry had simply sat; watching the flames. Hermione knew to leave him alone and he was grateful, he really didn't want to explain to anyone why he was feeling so glum.

Finally he had given up and followed Ron up the steps to his dorm after shooting Hermione a look as she went to bed. She had nodded to him; understanding what he had signalled. He would talk to Ebony tomorrow.

Harry huffed impatiently and his scar ached slightly. Harry muttered darkly to himself before throwing off the covers and walking across the dorm to the door. Ron sat up in bed –half asleep- and talked about chasing away the enchanted tea pots. Harry chuckled to himself and left.

He tiptoed down the stairs and found the room empty. The fire was low and Harry made his way across the room. Out of the gloom, Harry spotted someone. He sighed, letting out a breath of relief.

"Ebony." He whispered, smiling.

* * *

**Disclaimer: Blah blah blah, I don't own Harry Potter...etc**

**Here is chapter 16, and I was sitting writing this and at about half way I thought of something to put in the authors notes at the end. Of course I've forgotten it, but it was probably something really awesome that I'll never remember again.**

**I hope you didn't mind my focused chapter, I- OH MY GAWD I REMEMBERED IT. Okay, phew! What did you guys think when James disappeared many chapters ago? What do you think of him now? Why do you think he is so bitter towards Harry?**

**Okay, finally; what do you think of the sorting? Does anyone agree with me? I know there are people who wont, but I like to hear all the opinions.**

**any clues you've picked up on? What do you think will happen next?**

**Thanks for the reviews so far!**

**Keep em coming! **

**JadedHowl~**


	17. DADA

"Come inside Harry" Dumbledore called softly before he could knock on his office door. Harry pushed the door open and walked into the circular room that held absurd silver instruments. The headmaster was sitting behind his desk; on his high backed chair. His hands were clasped together and he looked over his spectacles as Harry made his way up the steps to join him. He motioned with his hand and Harry hesitated before sitting. There was a silence that was disrupted by the strange clicks and buzzes of the contraptions that Harry had never really thought about.

"Sir?" Harry finally questioned; breaking the silence. The headmaster sighed a little and sat back into his chair, his eyes resting on the widow that overlooked the grounds. Harry gritted his teeth and kept a tight hold on his anger.

"I have been busy this summer, very busy." Harry looked at his headmaster with narrowed eyes,

"What's going on sir?" Dumbledore looked him in the eyes, although for only a split second.

"Voldemort is gathering his forces together, because he did not find out the prophecy, he is doing everything in his power to overcome our forces before you can pose a proper threat." Harry looked at his hands and avoided looking at the other wizard. "Harry, you do not pose a threat because you are unable to do magic in the holidays. You are still easily beaten, but that does not mean that you possess no skill." Harry nodded,

"Do you know what he is planning?" he asked, wondering if the man would dodge his question,

"My sources have told me that there is someone Voldemort is looking for; a muggle." Harry looked up at Dumbledore, his eyes wide with shock. Dumbledore merely nodded and raised a hand to stop Harry from interrupting.

"He is looking for answers, because a long time ago, he was informed of another prophecy, which had yet been told. Another prophecy that included him." Harry's heart sunk; there couldn't possibly be another task that he had to complete.

"Was this after out prophecy sir?" Dumbledore rubbed his brow before replying,

"It was a prophecy in itself, a woman named Lea Wreath predicted that a prophecy would be made, Voldemort killed her and her family under questioning before she could expand on the subject. It was rumoured that she was not quite muggle, not quite witch, she was also married to a muggle named, Delano Caprice." Harry jumped

"Caprice? You mean in relation to Ebony?" The headmaster gave him a wry smile,

"I believe so, I tried to trace her family, but it seemed like all had been destroyed, well, almost. I managed to track down the remaining heir and I found a girl named Ella Wreath, a girl living in a muggle boarding school, just outside of London. Like Voldemort himself, I thought she might possess the skill that her relative had." Harry leaned forward a little, annoyed at his interest but on edge none the less,

"Did you discover the prophecy sir?" Dumbledore sighed a little and shuffled with some paperwork on his desk. He found what he wanted and pushed it towards Harry.

"I believe so, although I doubt she knows of her skill, I was lucky enough to find the single copy of it before Voldemort could. She knew of my presence and as soon as she discovered something was amiss, a power shield transported me outside of the estate, securing her inside. I doubt even Voldemort could pass through it.

"But how was she able to do such a thing sir?"

"That's a very good question indeed Harry." Harry looked down at the paper and made out a scribbled inscription that looked like it had been written in the dead of the night. His eyes passed over the words and he replayed the message in his head until he had got all meaning from it.

_The one with the sway to set the balance will be born under the line of peril _

_Those who bore her lost to the force that continues down the path of defiance _

_Discovered by the last ancestor and hunted by those who follow in his wake_

_Born as the eighth month dawns _

_She will have a choice to make, the frame of mind that will set the sides and her words write the lines of fate_

_While neither can live while the other survives_

_Her ensnared self will provide the Dark Lord with the key to stay undoubtedly alive... _

"This is why Voldemort is looking for her, he knows that she will deliver the prophecy to him, and she will be easily disposed of. I would act to protect the child but she seems perfectly safe where she is now." Harry nodded and passed the paper back over the desk,

"So this girl, the one she writes about, will be an asset for Voldemort?" Dumbledore nodded, "Do you have any idea who this is for?" he asked, worried about what the answer was.

"Well, the first line suggests that the child had been born under a line that has either been killed or fallen upon misfortune. The second line only develops this idea; that the child's parents died at the hand of Voldemort, him being the man who continues down the path of defying death itself. The third line seems unclear but I can deduce that the child was hunted by deatheaters." He paused a little and frowned, as if he was remembering something,

"The fourth line is self explanatory; the child was born at the beginning of August." Harry shivered, _when had Ebony said her birthday was?_ "And the rest of the prophecy implies that the choice that this child will make, will either help our cause, or destroy it. Whoever it might be, we need them on our side. Not only will they cause great trouble, but the child will also secure Voldemort's existence.

Harry shuffled in his chair; he didn't really like the sound of this person. He didn't need another obstacle to overcome in order to win this war.

"How can we know who it is?" Harry asked, exasperated, "They could be anywhere!" Harry stood up and took a breather before beginning to pace, back and forth, in front of the headmasters desk.

"There was someone that seemed to fit the bill-" Harry cut him off,

"Who?" The headmaster leaned forward and looked at Harry,

"Sit Harry, there is no need to worry." Harry did not move, he looked at the wizard and waited for his reply.

"Who was it sir?" he asked in a more demanding voice.

"I believe it might have been Miss Ebony Caprice." Harry stared at him with wide eyes. Somewhere underneath it all, he had to admit that it seemed possible, but in his heart, he didn't want to believe it.

"You said might, sir?" Dumbledore motioned for him to sit and after a pause he did; never taking his eyes off the man.

"Well, yes, I say this because upon meeting her, she seemed to fit everything, that was until I knew her year of birth." Harry frowned and waited for him to elaborate. "When a main prophecy is made – like your own- only one can be made. Yes there will be countless others in the same year, but none of those will affect the world. Your prophecy was made for the year of your birth, it may have been made before that, but it was set for that particular year.

This second prophecy was made for the year after your birth, making Ebony invalid because she was born around the same time as yourself. Although there are a fair few matches; Miss Caprice isn't the child of this prophecy and therefore I have no need to worry for her safety." Harry remained quiet for a minute, thinking of how harshly he had treated Ebony upon meeting her. That had been why; it was distrust that caused his bitterness towards her. Harry felt a little angry; if she was free of the prophecy, then why was she still treated differently. Why was she confined somewhere else at night? Why could she not act like any other student here? Harry still wondered where Ebony went to sleep at night.

"To add to this, the inscription suggests that the child would be related to Voldemort in some way. But as we both know, he killed all of his relatives when he was just out of school. So I can come to the conclusion that this prophecy is either wrong or incomplete. That is why Voldemort is after Miss Wreath; he must know if she has finished it." Harry let out sigh; he felt something prodding him in the back of his mind, something that he should have remembered, he frowned and rubbed his temples; every time he seemed to come close, the answer just slipped away.

Dumbledore looked at him with knowing eyes, there was nothing that you could hide from Albus Dumbledore, "You are brooding my boy, what is bothering you?" Harry opened his eyes and shook his head, _when had he closed them? _

"I'm not quite sure Headmaster, that name reminded me of something... Or someone, it's rather irritating." Dumbledore chuckled and winked,

"We usually find the answers when we are not looking for them." He said in an amused tone. Harry managed a weak scowl; his mind was still resting upon other things.

He stood and turned his back on the headmaster,

"I've got to talk to Ebony..." He said quietly to himself as he made his way to the door. Dumbledore had remained silent, but just before Harry left, he lifted his wand and his office door slammed shut, keeping Harry from leaving. Harry stared at the door and remembered the previous year,

_Let me out._

_No._

"Sir?" he said slowly, turning around to face the older wizard. He was standing with his wand trained on the door, but for a second it looked like it was hovering over Harry. He gulped and shuffled a little, not sure of what to expect.

"Harry, nothing we have spoken of can leave this room." Harry frowned and glared at the headmaster.

"Sir, she has a right to know! I wouldn't feel any different." He tried to leave again but the door seemed out of reach every time he leant forward to turn the knob.

"I cannot allow you to leave until I have your word Harry." Dumbledore stared at Harry with electric blue eyes. "It is best that she never knew of her potential to fit this prophecy. She is alike Neville, would you openly tell him of what he might have had to face?" Harry glared at the floor, unwilling to look the wizard in the eye.

"I cannot make her decisions for her sir." He said quietly, still not looking at the man. Dumbledore moved down the small set of stairs and came a little closer to Harry; his wand still out. Harry back away a little and finally looked at him.

"Sometimes, Harry, the best thing for a person is ignorance." Harry stared at him for a while, remaining silent, his mind whirling. How would he feel if something like this had been kept from him? Harry knew exactly what it was like to be kept in the dark; he hated it. He wrestled with himself for a while. He wanted to completely forget about the accusations towards Ebony, he didn't want to see her differently because of what the headmaster had implied. He wished that he could erase his own mind. Harry smiled to himself.

"Headmaster, the only way you are going to stop me, is if you erase the knowledge from my mind." Dumbledore looked at him with a twinkle in his eye. He titled his head a little, as if he was seeing Harry in a completely different light.

"Harry, I want your word, upon your honour; that you will not breath a word of this to anyone outside of this room." Harry growled, now that his honour had been questioned, he had no choice but to comply. He hung his head and mumbled his reply.

"Yes, sir." The door clicked open and Harry ran from the room and flew down the spiral stair case. He pushed past the gargoyle and sprinted back to Gryffindor tower; anger fuelling him the entire time.

In his haste he missed a figure in the shadows that followed him down the steps.

Ebony brushed her hair behind her ear with a shaking hand. Anger was pulsing through her veins and she felt the familiar ache in her throat and tingle in her left arm as she reached for her wand. She was so close to snapping but suddenly, the halls filled with students and her anger was swept away as the crowd surrounded her.

* * *

Ebony sat staring at the object in front of her. The task was to repel the object before it caused any damage to her or her class mates. All around her there were straining students as some wrestled their objects from fingers and thumbs. Every once in a while, someone would yelp and the whole class would jump.

Hermione sat beside her, watching the small snuff box with careful eyes. She frowned a little as she went through all possibilities and spells she could use against the tiny object. Harry sat next to Ron and both boys were trying to prise the enchanted candle stick off Ron's arm. Harry tried to hold back a laugh as the candle tore at Ron's robes. Harry had already disintegrated the harmless looking book and had found Ron's project much more amusing.

Hermione scowled at her two friends and turned back to her box, then, with a flourish of her wand, she transfigured the box into a pincushion, rendering it harmless. She smirked and looked up expectantly. That's when Ebony saw it. The pincushion formed a mouth filled with nasty looking teeth and promptly chomped onto Hermione's hand, resulting in her squeal of protest.

"See class, Miss-" a man said, looking at her questionably as he entered the room,

"Granger." Hermione groaned as she pulled the pin cushion from her hand.

"Granger, this is the perfect example. It may seem like you have defeated your target, but never and I mean never let your eyes wonder. It's magic after all, some things aren't expected." the voice almost taunted as a tall man dressed in black and navy robes strode into the classroom and made his way to the front, his eyes taking in everything. Ebony looked up and glanced at a relatively handsome face that framed yellow eyes. He smiled at her before returning his gaze to the rest of the class.

Ebony studied him closer; he wore his hair long and drawn into a bow at the back of his head. The white blonde hair was wavy and stylish. A few strands framed the rest of his tanned face and he had angular brows set above eyes that seemed to glisten with emotion, although Ebony could not make out what.

She heard someone sigh and Ebony looked around to see Lavender Brown gazing at the new professor with a love sick expression on her girly face. Ebony snickered at her and turned around and looked back at her object. The glass paper weight reflected blinding light in her eyes every time she looked at the thing. She could hardly see it, let alone cast a spell on it.

One particular shaft of light caught her unaware and made her flinch, Ebony lost her temper and released her magic and focused it upon the annoying paper weight. The force sent the heavy object across the room where it smashed into a thousand pieces, causing light to shine randomly across the classroom causing chaos as students momentarily lost their sight and missed their targets. Spells flew across the room and students began to duck under their desks. Harry and Ron finally got the candle stick away from them both and Harry stood to help Hermione as her pin cushion began to bounce up and down on top of her head.

Ebony sat amidst the destruction staring at where the paper weight had smashed. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the mess she had caused. She didn't even hear Harry calling her name as he grabbed at the pin cushion that was making its way over to her. Ebony didn't even realise what she was doing as she raised her fist and brought it down upon the annoying object, momentarily stunning it.

The professor raised his wand as he carefully watched the girl with dark hair. His wand set off a bang and made everyone jump,

Ebony snapped out of her stupor.

"Calm down class! Stop acting like a bunch of first years." Everyone fell silent and watched the professor as he brought his wand down and looked at them all. Each person squirmed as he stared them down. Within a few seconds the whole class was back into place and a careful calm sat over everyone. Ebony glanced at Harry and he looked at her with strange eyes. Neither of them was quite sure if they liked the new defence against the dark arts teacher.

"Now, I think introductions are in order." He paused to grin at the class, Ebony relaxed a little, "You may call me Professor Kern; I was employed by the headmaster himself for my background knowledge of the dark arts." The class looked fearfully at each other and Professor Kern did not miss the uncomfortable silence that passed between them all. "There is no cause for alarm, I come from a background of wizards that practised the arts, but that doesn't make me or my family evil. I like to make that distinction. There is nothing wrong with learning what the other side will use against you. How could you be more prepared?" Ebony nodded in agreement and saw Harry do the same. They both knew that Harry needed to learn everything he could.

"Now, miss Caprice-" Ebony looked up at the professor, "To control your magic, you must control your anger." Ebony couldn't help but glare. The professor only smiled and turned to the board. "Please copy down these notes on inanimate objects and how to use them in a duel." He waved his wand and the board filled with neat and sophisticated writing. The class groaned and pulled out their quills and began coping. Ebony sat still and watched the professor as he flicked through his pages, not looking at the class. Hermione nudged her and Ebony ignored her and continued to stare,

"The notes, Miss Caprice. I wouldn't want you to fall behind." She looked down at her desk and found the material she needed already in place. She glanced at him again before picking up her quill and dipping it into ink; making her own copy on the parchment.

* * *

Ebony sat in the common room that evening, drawing on a scrap of parchment instead of completing her charms essay on the technique of banishing objects. She didn't really look at what she was sketching but instead she looked into the fireplace and watched the flames as the licked the atmosphere.

How had he known her name anyway? Had someone mentioned something about her to him before their class together? For some reason Ebony resented the middle aged man, he seemed to dominate the conversation, although there had been none. Ebony felt conflicted, she didn't really understand why she was brooding over him. She didn't usually get this distracted. He acted above everyone, like he knew he was better. He condemned her for her mistakes and Ebony growled. _Nice first impression Caprice_, she said bitterly to herself.

Harry crossed the common room and sat opposite her, he remained silent for a while before he lightly called her name.

"How did he know my name?" Harry looked at her weirdly for a second before sighing,

"You're not still worrying about that are you?" Ebony slammed down her pencil and it rolled off the table. She glared at him for a moment,

"Yes, actually, I am curious as to how he knew my name." Harry rolled his eyes and stood up to retrieve her pencil. He tossed it over and Ebony caught it without looking up from her doodle. He sat back down again and tried to see what she had drawn, but before he could catch a glimpse, she crumpled it up and tried out a new spell. "Absento" and the paper flew away from the table and into the fire, startling a few third years who sat near it.

Harry raised a brow at her but said nothing; she shrugged her shoulders and sat back in her chair.

"Just practising charms." She muttered and Harry nodded slowly. They sat together watching the rest of the common room. Neville sat with Ron and they played chess. Ron had a smug look on his face and Neville was practically breaking out in a sweat.

Hermione sat in a secluded corner, surrounded by books. Ebony could hear her quill scribbling away and she smiled. Ebony looked for the rest of Hermione's dorm and she found them sitting together with their heads close to each other, Ebony didn't need to guess at what they were doing. She had already heard that they had a reputation for gossip. They must be sussing out who was dating who and which person fancied another. She sighed a little and thought about what she had caused; she must have been a juice topic when she had first arrived. It had only been a week, but most of the castle had still not gotten used to her. Ebony's sorting had been the start of it all. Rumours of her bewitchment of the hat had spread like wild fire. She was now looked upon as different or fearful. In a way she was happy because it meant that nobody would openly question her, unfortunately this was also her downfall. How was she to make new friends if nobody approached her?

Ebony was so far away in her mind she did not see a younger boy with dirty blonde hair and a camera bounce up to the pair. A flash went off and she jumped.

"Hi Ebony!" The boy said enthusiastically, "I'm Collin Creevy; I hope you don't mind me taking your picture? It's for the new school bulletin that I'm setting up with my little brother, Dennis Creevy. We're going to do a topic on new arrivals in Gryffindor! You don't mind do you?" Ebony looked at the boy as he jumped up and down a little, holding his muggle camera. He looked a little fearful when she did not reply straight away, but before she could answer, Harry did for her.

"I'm sure that's fine Colin, can't wait for the article." He said while holding back his laughter.

"Oh Harry! I didn't see you there! How was your summer, did you do anything exciting?" Harry sighed and rolled his eyes.

"It was fine Colin; I really didn't do anything this summer." Ebony scoffed and Harry did his best to ignore her. Colin took another snap of Harry before bouncing across the room to sit with another blonde boy who Ebony assumed was his brother. Colin whispered in his ear and pointed at her. The younger brother smiled meekly and waved a little. Ebony shot him a grin and waved back.

"Well that went down nicely" Harry said in amusement, "He's really taken a shine to you." He added, holding back his laughter. Ebony only smirked at him before replying,

"yeah! And I think he got a nice shot of you blinking you prick." Harry gasped and mocked hurt. Ebony only stuck her tongue out.

The portrait opened and a boy from the year below came over to their table and gave Harry a note. He looked down at it and deflated a little.

"I'll see you later; I've got to go see Dumbledore." Ebony nodded and watched him stand and make his way over to the portrait. After a few minutes, she stood and decided to follow. It was about time she got some proper answers.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, I just like to use her world for my own for a while**

**Sorry this chapter took so long, I really don't have any excuses, I was just being lazy and sleeping at a normal-ish time for once.**

**This chapter has some MAJOR hints if you have a good memory! If anyone figures it out I'll personally congratulate you in the next chapter! The prophecy was written by me about a year ago now and that is where the story really steamed from. Take note of it, it's important. Any idea why Dumbledore is acting so weird? Who is Professor Kern and what are your thoughts on him.**

**The spell "Absento" is my own, and means "to send away" very clever eh eh? **

**I hope you're all still enjoying it and I'll try to update sooner next time!**

**Reviews are welcome!**

**P.S. excuse my mistakes if there are some, I'm very tired and I don't have the energy to check it all over! **

**OH AND ALSO, RESEARCH MY IMMORTAL AND DO NOT COMPARE EBONY TO THE MAIN CHARACTER! I TAKE IT AS AN OFFENCE AS MY CHARACTER IS NOT THAT ONE DIMENSIONAL AND MY PLOT LINE GOES BEYOND THE EXPLANATION OF MY CLOTHES! **

**Hem, that is all**


	18. Confrontation

Ebony woke up slowly and looked at the under part of her hangings that draped over the top of her bed. The warm red made her feel cosy and reluctant to move. It was Saturday morning and she let out a sigh of relief, the weeks had been hard on her, the constant work had been a burden but she hadn't found any of it that difficult, it was just the mass that each teacher piled on her, forgetting that she was new to all of this, even if she did have those memories.

Ebony had started wondering about her memories, or rather, not her memories. Occasionally she would get a head ache from when they had to resurface when asked a question. What she didn't like was the fact that they weren't part of her, they had been planted there and it felt wrong when she received points from something that she had not originally thought of.

She sighed and brushed her hair away from her eyes as she pulled herself into a sitting position and leant back against the headboard. Ebony reached over and grabbed a hair brush and started running it through the tangled mess; it was always no use, every time she attempted to smooth her hair, it rebelled and she found it all over the place once more.

"God, I really need a hair cut..." Ebony muttered to herself, she couldn't ever remember having one, no wonder her hair was so long and messy. She stared at the rest of the room for a while and then the words began to whisper to her once more.

_Born as the eighth month dawns ... __Her... provide the Dark Lord ...to stay undoubtedly alive..._

Ebony shuddered and threw the covers off her as she stormed about her room. She resisted the urge to yell out loud and instead made her desk fly across the room without lifting her wand. She hated herself, how could she be the one to cause his uprising? Why did she have to descend from him, Ebony wished that she was not related to that man in any way, but fate had a cruel mind. The desk quivered as her magic ran through it. Ebony glanced at it and tried to calm her mind. Her hands were shaking and the itch in her wand arm had returned. She swallowed to try and rid herself of the ache that rested in her throat. Her hair had lightened while she had lost it, but now that she was breathing properly; it turned dark again.

"Get a grip!" She yelled at herself as she looked in the long mirror across from her. She moved over to her desk and picked up her wand from the floor, she lifted it and moved the wooden ornament back into place. Her hair fell in her eyes again and she lost her temper. Ebony conjured a small piece of string and wound her hair up into a long ponytail that reached the middle of her shoulder blades. Satisfied that it was out of the way she let out a huff and moved to her trunk and pulled out a red and gold polar neck jumper and cream leggings that reminded her of horse riding trousers.

After slipping on her scruffy looking lace up boots she sat down in a chair in the corner of her room and held her head in her hands. She resisted the urge to growl and tried to figure out what she had discovered.

The girl Dumbledore was talking about knew her prophecy; in fact she had translated it into one copy which the headmaster had taken. She let out another sigh and tried to think positively, at least she was free of one burden. Even though Voldemort seemed to know that it was her prophecy. She hoped that all he had was rumours and suspicions.

Ebony was thankful that she had lied about the year of her birth upon meeting Dumbledore, although she was annoyed that she hadn't lied further; if she had changed the date then the old wizard wouldn't have given her a second thought. She knew that she had seen something in his eyes when she had said her birthday; he had been triumphant about something. Ebony shivered a little; what if he had found out that it was her? Would he of killed her to remove any possibility of harming anyone and aiding Voldemort? She struggled to contradict herself; from the short meetings she had experience with the man Ebony knew that she couldn't trust him for a second. There was something about the way he spoke to her, as if he was always threatening her.

The lines circled her mind again, she was sure it was her. She had come from a family of death and peril, nothing had been left of her family tree; of what she knew about. The second line described how her parents had died. Ebony squeezed her eyes shut and tried to block out the head ache that was returning. She had once had a glimmer of hope that her parents had not died, but, merely lost her for a time. She knew now, Voldemort had taken another thing from her.

Her birthday was obvious but she still wondered why Dumbledore had said that two prophecy's couldn't be made for the same year, but in a way she thanked him for this theory, because, for now it was helping her escape the blamed for what she must avoid in the future. Her cover had saved her. Acting as she was one year older destroyed her tracks and eliminated her from the candidates, if there were any.

What made Ebony annoyed the most was the fact that Dumbledore himself hadn't even thought to have a meeting with her about this whole thing. He hadn't even mentioned it and he has also made Harry swear that he would not tell. She knew that Harry was going against his morals; he knew that she hated being kept in the dark just as much as him.

Ebony stood from the chair and took a few steps before kneeling down to adjust her shoes. He turned to full height, took a deep breath and pushed away the thoughts before striding across the room and opening the tapestry. She slipped through the small gap and closed it behind her as quietly as she could before looking around the room and thanking that nobody had caught her yet.

The common room was shining in the morning light and only the early birds sat in the chairs and quietly chatted with their friends. Harry and Ron were nowhere to be seen but Ebony found Hermione in her usual seat by the fireplace; she was writing notes on a spare bit of parchment. Ebony smiled and rolled her eyes.

She made her way over and the sudden movement made her hair slip from the poorly constructed hair band; the string fell to the floor and all of her hair fell in her face. Ebony huffed indignantly.

"Oh for goodness sake!" she said bitterly as she picked up the string and eyed the fire; refraining from throwing it into the little morning flames. She flopped down next to Hermione as she gave her an amused glance. She avoided looking at her for a while before she grinned. Hermione laughed and Ebony looked up as she took a band from her wrist and tossed it over to her. "Thanks." She said quietly as she pulled her hair back once more, not caring how messy it was becoming.

"No problem, looking like you're going to need it too." She nodded towards the window and Ebony turned and looked to see the wind rushing past.

"Going to need it?" Ebony questioned, wondering if she had forgotten something,

"Yeah, you know, Quidditch trails today?" Ebony stared at her and then groaned, she remembered promising Harry that she would go out for chaser.

"But I'm not even that good, I've only practised three or four times, and Harry and Ron have been doing it for years!" Hermione looked at her with unbelieving eyes.

"Don't be silly, I saw you at the burrow, you'll be just as good as anyone when you get some practise in. Plus, Ron only joined the team this year- well I think he'll get in." Hermione let her sentence trail off as her eyes lost focused. Ebony began to think as well. Was she really good enough to even consider? Harry may not even think that she'd make it, let alone a fully trained team that were used to playing alongside each other. Not only that, she would be the new one, replacing someone old, someone she would have to live up to. That was if she even made the team at all.

Hermione jerked her out of her wondering by hauling her up from the sofa, "Come on, let's go get some breakfast, the boys will catch up with us later."

* * *

Harry sat opposite her at the Gryffindor table and sipped pumpkin juice while reading the prophet. Ebony sat with her water in front of her –she hadn't taken to the weird drink just yet- and looked up at the ceiling which was a clear greyish sight. The fluffy clouds were long and drawn out as the wind moved them with blasts. It would have been perfect weather apart from the disastrous wind, but as Ebony had learned, nothing stopped Quidditch.

Ron sat; looking down at his food, the usual race for feeding was lost to him for a moment. Ebony couldn't really blame him, she wasn't in the mood for eating the neatly cut toast on her plate, instead she busied herself with the water and hoped that nobody would notice her.

Of course she was wrong.

"Eat, you need the energy." Harry said quietly without even looking up from the paper. Ebony scowled at him and looked at her plate again. She shook her head and pushed it away from her.

"Not hungry." Harry chuckled but his eyes still didn't leave the paper on the table. Ebony looked a little closer and saw the dark mark on the front page again; it was becoming more and more common. "What has he done?" Ebony asked bitterly as she tried to lean a little closer to see the article. Harry jerked the paper away from her and finally looked up from it. His eyes held apprehension.

"I'm not sure you really want to know Ebony." He said slowly with a look of sympathy in his eyes. Ebony glared at him and looked around for another paper. Neville sat near her with his nose buried behind the pages. She whipped it from his grasp and he yelped in surprise.

"Hey! What was that for?" he said indignantly but when he saw her, his eyes lowered and he blushed a little.

"Sorry Neville, ask Harry." She spat as she smoothed out the paper and read the front page.

**He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named strikes against a small muggle town outside of London**

_In the small town of Ruxley, thirty two muggles were found dead under the dark mark in the early hours of yesterday morning. The bodies were discovered by a passing family on their way to their grandmother's house. She was killed in the attack. Mr and Mrs Nichols described what they had found through tears of distress._

"_It was horrible" Mrs Nichols comments "It was deadly quiet and we wondered where everybody was, of course that was when we came across the first body"_

_After, their memories were whipped and the family was relocated to a safer area. _

_Before You-Know-Who's last downfall at hand of Mr Harry Potter, he was notorious for targeting innocent muggles and destroying all that lay in his path, right down to the last child, it is not surprising that he has once more taken to his old habits. _

_The small town had already happened across misfortune when a local orphanage was burnt to the ground by an unknown figure of cruelty, Deatheaters were suspected after further investigation when the fire had no source. All had perished excluding one child which is still missing to this day. The files on each residence were unrecognisable but there were one too many for the amount of bodies that were found there. _

_What we can only wonder is why? Why would a man do something so terribly pointless? How can he achieve anything through this merciless murder? _

_As a wizarding community we can only hope to stand together and build a wall against his influence, every woman, man and child must hope for his downfall. We must come together as one before we can hope to rid the world of his terror. Finally we must hope that he becomes careless, so that he will meet his match, and we will all be free once more._

_**Reporter Jessica Ridely**_

Ebony took a deep breath as her eyes came to the end of the passage. She wordlessly gave Neville back his paper and sat unmoving; staring at her goblet. On the outside she allowed no emotion to show, but underneath it all, there was a torrent of anger and guilt that was threatening to overwhelm her. Harry was trying to catch her eye but she avoided his gaze. It had been her fault, the attack had been where she had lived once, and because of her very existence, thirty so muggles had paid the price with their lives. Ebony remembered the little town and the people that had passed her in the streets. Now she wished she had paid them more attention, given them the respect they deserved.

Ebony shut her eyes and clenched her fists as she saw Voldemort's face in her mind, laughing and taunting her,

_You will never be free of me Ebony..._

She realized that she needed to calm down; it was an article after all and one that should not be related to her. If she showed any sign of her grief then her cover would be blown. People would wonder why she was attached to this town; after all she had supposedly grown up far from where her old life had once been.

Ebony opened her eyes and whispered quietly,

"I'm so sorry..." The full grief of what had happened at the orphanage hit her once more; she hadn't really come to terms at what had transpired there. The murder and fight, the fire and those horrific screams all came flooding back and Ebony had to hold back the scream of rage that bubbled underneath her exterior.

Finally she managed to control herself and she looked up and stared across the great hall, her eyes rested on a blonde boy with miss match eyes and she remembered James with a jolt. He was watching her carefully and Ebony kept her gaze unfocused so that he didn't realize that she was watching him back. He looked at her for a little while longer before shaking his head and returning to his breakfast. Ebony cursed silently and looked back to her plate. He had noticed something wrong and she knew it. Ebony could have slapped herself.

"Ebony?" Harry asked slowly, Ebony ignored him and got up from the table,

"Come on Harry, we're late for try-outs." She didn't look back as she made her way out of the hall and outside. Harry ran to catch up with her and Ron wasn't far behind him. Ebony guessed that Hermione would follow later when it had warmed up a little.

Harry didn't bring up the topic again and Ebony felt a little uncomfortable so she brushed down her polar neck Quidditch jumper and looked down to check that her shin guards were still in place. Everything that she wore had been waiting for her in her room on the night of her arrival, only this morning had she realized what the robes had been for.

The noise of teenagers grew as they drew closer to the stadium and Ebony glanced at Harry who had lost the little colour he had in his face. She was about to say something when the Weasley twins crashed into them.

"Alright Harry? Nice turn out huh? You've got a lot to pick from this time." They grinned when they spotted Ebony, "Caprice the chaser eh? I like the sound of that, glad you came to try-outs, you'll make a speedy addition to the team, don't you think Captain Potter?" they joked as they saluted Harry who gulped nervously.

"Er yeah- I – How many did you say?" The twins looked at each other before grinning once more,

"Oh, I'd say-" Fred started

"About thirty of them?" George finished before slapping Harry on the back and heading off to the field. Harry stared after them and faltered in his step. Ron noticed and grimaced,

"Mate don't worry, I bet half of them are first years anyway then you can send them away right off and it won't seem so bad." Harry nodded slowly and Ron lightly pulled on his sleeve to get him moving again.

They made their way to the pitch and Ebony hung back in the jostling crowd as Harry made his way to the front of the untidy rabble of people. He lifted his wand to his neck and then shouted, his voice magically enhanced.

"OI!" he cried and made most of the people jump and mutter amongst themselves. Harry carried on none the less, "Thank you, right, I want all first years off the pitch, you'll have to wait until next year." Ebony watched as one quarter of the crowd let out a moan and slowly make their way to the stands.

"Next, I am only looking for chasers and keepers, all of the other positions are currently full, so if you're not interested in either position, you are welcome to try next year and in the mean time watch in the stands." Ebony saw him heave a sigh of relief when a large volume of the crowd made their way off the pitch. Now all that was left were a couple of fifth years and sixth years.

"Thank you, now if all the people trying out for the chaser position could move over here, Ginny will sort you into pairs." Ebony moved over as well as a short skinny boy in the year below, he had tanned skin with freckles across his turned up nose. He glanced at her and nervously looked away. Ebony smiled; maybe this was going to be easier than she thought.

The try-outs moved faster than she could think, before she knew it Ebony was in the skies, racing against her opposition to snag the quaffle from under Ginny's arm. Ebony laughed as the wind blew in her face. She reminded herself to thank Hermione for the hair band, if she hadn't of had it, her hair would have hindered her game. The other boy was a fair game but he lacked the confidence in the hair. He could navigate corners better than she could, but when it came down to it, he was afraid to knock Ginny in order to gain the quaffle. Ebony on the other hand did not mind the contact, although her flying was pretty reckless. She would roll and dive and change direction with so much speed that the others in the air had to watch out for her. Ebony loved every second of it. The aim of her practise was to secure the quaffle from Ginny more than the other player could. So far she had taken the target from under her arm over three times, while the tanned boy had only managed it once after Ebony had knocked into Ginny and dislodged the quaffle. Their second task was to try and shoot goals while the upcoming keepers defended the hoops. Ebony had a good aim but she needed a stronger arm in order for it to travel fast enough. She had scored against one keeper but neither of the chasers had been able to get past Ron. Ebony smiled at him as he saved another shot.

Harry finally blew his whistle and all of the players landed and gathered around him.

"Thank you, all of you, for trying out today, there was a lot of talent up there today but we only have two places." Harry looked up at Ebony and winked. He walked over to them and looked down at his clip board. "Cole, you have a good turning speed and a strong pass but you have a weakness when it comes down to the contact, unless you can reach the goals without contact you are a good asset to this team." He looked up at Ebony. "You on the other hand, have a strange ability to remain on your broom at all times and have no issue with contact, your aim is good but you need to strengthen up a little." Ebony held her breath and watched him calculate his decision.

"Upon talking with the team, we have come to the conclusion that..." Ebony almost yelled in exasperation, she had no idea she had wanted it this bad. "Ebony is a greater asset to the team, but Cole will remain as reserve chaser as your skills might be needed." Harry looked at the younger boy and patted him on the shoulder "Just work on that contact issue, other than that you're almost flawless." Cole looked a little defeated but he smiled at Harry and walked slowly off the pitch.

Harry looked back at Ebony and grinned before moving onto the keepers. The twins jumped on her and lifted her onto their shoulders,

"Nice one Caprice! We could use some of that dangerous flying anyway, spice it up a bit, you know?" Ebony grinned back at them and watched as Harry told Ron that he would be joining the team. There were going to be a few celebrations tonight Ebony thought as she clambered off the twins and made her way up to the castle alone.

* * *

Ebony shivered from the cold the wind had brought and her footsteps echoed through the frosty outer halls. She was walking back to the common room when she heard footsteps behind her. Ebony glanced over her shoulder and found herself staring down an empty corridor. She was walking down a passage that not many students used unless they were going to a match, so she didn't expect anyone to be here unless they were coming back from training. Ebony carried on and she jolted when she saw a shadow move in front of her. She squinted and tried to find the source of the movement when a hand came up and covered her mouth while another spun her around and pushed her against the corridor wall.

She let out a surprised yelp when she met grey eyes once more. Something made her remember the incident in Diagon Alley. She growled and tried to reach for her wand when she saw it on the floor across the hall way. Did she always lose her wand that easily? Ebony looked back into the sneering face of Malfoy, but not the one she had come to know but his son. Draco.

"You've been a thorn in my father's side from what I've heard." He sneered at her as he removed his hand from her face and instead put his arm lightly across her neck.

"Oh yeah? And what exactly have you heard Malfoy?" The boy looked a little angry before he rearranged his features to a mocking gaze.

"Nothing yet-" he said venomously "But I'll find out, you've caused far too much trouble from what I can gather." Ebony glared at the boy and tried to move his arm away from her neck but he only increased the pressure. "Tell me what he wants from you and I'll go easier." Ebony huffed and rolled her eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said with a hint of humour in her tone. Malfoy looked like he was going to hit her when something made them both jump.

"MALFOY!" James shouted as he rounded the corner, his wand out and his face livid. "What on earth do you think you're doing?" Draco jumped back from Ebony and she rubbed her neck and glared at the blonde boy.

"Merely finishing some business Ramore." And with that he stalked down the corridor and turned the corner, but not after giving her one more threatening glance. Ebony brushed herself down and tried to forget about what had transpired. She would not fear that coward. James bent down and picked up her wand. He took a look at it before handing it back to her.

"You really need to learn to hold onto that." He commented quietly. Ebony nodded and looked up at him,

"Offering any advice?" She asked with a grin. He smiled back at her and replied,

"I can tutor you in you want? I know it's been strange with the new school and all, I bet you're not used to jerks like Draco over there." He said while pointing in the direction Malfoy had disappeared in.

Ebony was shocked by his offer, although she hated to admit it, she needed the extra practice. She wondered what the others would think about her decision, Ebony was still a little wary about James but after what he had offered, it would seem foolish not to take it up.

"I like the sound of that, send me a note when you have some free time and we can start then." James nodded and Ebony continued on her path up to the waiting common room...

* * *

**I am SO sorry that this chapter took so long! It's been a mixture of school work and illness that has kept me busy, but I've pushed past that and given you a chapter at last! excuse any mistakes, being ill really makes you lazy XD**

**I hope you liked this one and if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. Nobody has guessed who Professor Kern is yet and I'm a little glad about that, my story isn't that plain XD**

**So what do you think of James' request and the confrontation between Malfoy and Ebony? The plans for the future are beginning to unfold, and I hope you're enjoying the story so far.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, I only own my OC and plot line.**


	19. Author's Note

Author's Note

**Hey readers, I have to apologise for not updated recently but I have been extremely busy. Travelling and all that, plus studying for really important exams that are just around the corner. So with this in mind, I would like to reassure you that this story is not discontinued! In fact I know how this story will end, so I cannot leave it unfinished, but due to exams looming I will have to postpone updating this story. I hope I won't lose the little readers I do have, as I would feel terrible at not being able to share the end of this story. **

**I have two weeks of last study with my teachers and then I have a month of exams with a week break in the middle. In that week I will try and update but I will be frantically studying all I can manage! I was going to update one last time but I was unable to finish it off, but here is a small taster of what is to come in "Harry Potter and the Blood of the enemy". **

**I love you guys! See you in 6 weeks or so... ):**

_**Jadedhowl~**_

It was horrible, the flesh was torn from bone, blood drenched what was left of a uniform and the unseeing eyes sat empty in their sockets. Long mangled hair surrounded a beaten skull and strands flew over hollow cheeks ridden with cuts and burns. The torso had been obliterated; a gaping hole glistened with still blood, with no heart to pump it through the cracks. The body still had its legs but they lay at odd angles, broken beyond use and useless to the corpse that now lay in front of Harry Potter.

Harry stared in shock at what lay before him, he reach out towards the girl with a shaky hand and when he met with the ice cold flesh he jumped and let out a gasp of horror. Harry was trembling as he shook his head in denial. He ignored the pounding head ache and the throbbing sensation coming from his scar and sat, watching her eyes, waiting them to flicker open, but also wondering if it would do her any good.

He managed to kneel further away from her, but his legs would not hold him for a while. He could not drag his eyes away from the sight. It was horrific and heartbreaking. What else had been done to her? Had she suffered torture? Had she cried and begged for death? Harry hoped that she had remained strong and defiant against the man that continued to hunt him. This was his doing, the cruel tidiness of the pain screamed his name. Of course, he had years of practise, every ounce of pain had been obtained from her, it was quite clear.

Harry didn't want to see her anymore, not like this. He wanted to remember her as the girl that understood him and stuck by his side no matter what. He wanted to keep her image untainted but he knew that the face he saw now was the one that would remain.

Harry heard a noise and jumped up to his full height; staggering a little. A mist was collecting just behind the body, a mist that seemed white and pure until a deeper darkness came forth. It was there, like a planted seed, that the darkness began to spread. A form was distinguishable and glaring red eyes locked onto him. Harry could not move as Voldemort stepped up to the body as he was left helpless to watch as the darkness looked down upon his wrong doing and smiled his bitter smile.

There was a pause where Harry could hardly breathe as he looked into the face of utter iniquity.

"Now Harry Potter, you die." There was a flash and Harry smiled as a warm face filled his mind. He sighed and fell into darkness...

**N/B If you're an old reader, you might want to check out the first chapter once more and take a look at the epilogue. Don't worry, I haven't just ruined the ending, nothing is that simple anyways...**


	20. A Farewell

**Just a note to say that after some thinking, I've decided that this story is not worth continuing. It had a weak plot line and major flaws throughout. My only regret is that you guys won't know the ending (Something I had looked forward to writing) **

**I'm sure Ebony and her 'Mary Sueisum' won't be missed. I still disagree that she is anything but Mary Sue as she is based on a real person with a few added extras from other people I have come across. **

**Sorry if I've broken any promises, but I hope you can all understand that I don't wish to keep updating something that I really hate. **

**Take a look at my other stories and last of all, Thank you for reviewing, it matter to me then and it still matters to me now **

**JadedHowl~**


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